Elegant, Graceful, and Clumsy
by Kippis05
Summary: A collection of short stories about Po and Tigress.
1. Chapter 1

_**Elegant, Graceful, and Clumsy**_

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**Disclaimer: **Kung Fu Panda is © 2008 DreamWorks Animation SKG

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**Quickie One**

_The Dinner Table_

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Early evening was quickly approaching…the blue skies overhead slowly giving way to a brilliant color palate of golden yellows and deep reds. Unfortunatley, as residents of the Jade Palace, the Five never had time to enjoy the majestic scenery, especially now, under Shifu's direct instruction to better themselves following the rampage, should a new threat arise.

But however bleak it seemed, and if there was one thing that the Five could look forward to after a particularly brutal day of training, it would have to be dinnertime…especially now, since Po—the Dragon Warrior—had been in their presence for a little over two weeks now, they had all become that much more enthusiastic about it.

Even from the panda's harshest critic.

Following his training under Shifu, Po had spent a good part of the late afternoon hours in the kitchen, preparing dinner for his comrades in celebration; it had now been officially one entire week since Po had rid the Valley of Peace from its snow leopard tormentor.

The invigorating aroma of his cooking didn't take long to weave its way into the training hall, tormenting its inhabitants for well over three hours with its intoxicating bouquet.

Monkey groaned in exhaustion, "If I don't eat something soon, I'm going to starve to death…" The golden languor collapsed in a heap just opposite the wooden warriors, utterly dispensed of his energy.

Viper and Crane both rolled their eyes at him as they watched him from the ledge of the course, taking a quick breather. Tigress just shot her simian comrade a smug look, gracefully (or at least as much grace as she could muster) dodging one of the swinging clubs.

"Quit complaining…we're all hungry too."

"Hey you guys!" Po shouted from the hallway, catching their attention, "Dinner's just about ready!" He stood away from the door, allowing the stampeding army that was the Furious Five into the kitchen and into their respective seats.

Mantis, in a surge of energy jumped up onto the wooden table, his small eyes darting between the various steaming pots and woks atop the stove; with mouth agape, he shouted, "FOOD! Sweet, glorious food…"

"Relax dude," Po said with a heartwarming laugh, "just have a seat with the others, will 'ya?"

Everyone at the table looked on with piqued curiosity as they watched the panda bring his spread to the table. He smirked in triumph—and slight amusement—as they dug in without any attempt at subtlety, pleased by their willingness to try every last bit of food he had prepared; after about all of five minutes, every last bit of food was gone: the steamed rice, egg rolls, vegetable stir-fry, his famous noodle soup…everything.

Which just left dessert…and what Po had spent most of his time actually preparing: cookies.

"I hope you guys left room for some dessert, because me and my dad had an awesome idea for a new kind of cookie." He smiled, bringing over the tray of curious-looking delicacies from the countertop. "You fold the cookie dough over while its still soft, and put a small piece of paper with a message inside it, and then bake them 'til they're all nice and crispy!"

Crane removed his hat to take a better look at the small morsels. "That's a really interesting concept…what do you call them?"

"Well, I couldn't think of a name, but leave it to my dad to think of something; he calls them 'fortune cookies'." He laughed, walking back over to the table.

Tigress chuckled, "Another secret family recipe, I'd assume?"

Po glanced in her direction, their eyes connecting briefly, "You could say that…"

Being the connoisseur of baked goods, the moment Monkey had gotten his from the panda, he analyzed the cookie with an inquisitive eye. He scratched his chin and looked at the panda, "So what's the best way to get to the paper inside?"

"Just break it apart in the middle, and then, you just separate the two halves…simple as pie."

Po rounded the table, dropping one into Viper's dish, then Crane's, and over to Mantis. Once he had gotten to Tigress' seat, he stopped for a moment. He took the cookie off the platter, and with a smooth, nonchalant movement, let his arm gently graze hers, delicately placing the small confection into her plate.

She shot a quick glance at the panda, who had by now taken his seat next to her at the head of the table. He looked at her and feigned an innocent expression, "…what?"

The feline just shook her head and cracked open the cookie, just as Po had instructed, the others quickly following suit. Po silently watched her movements as she tugged at the neatly tucked slip of paper from its shell, letting a small smirk hit his face as she mouthed the three words written on the small paper. Her eyes grew wider as she read it again, not even noticing the others laughing amongst each other and comparing their fortunes. The tiger picked up her chopsticks and dropped them onto the floor.

"Oh, clumsy me, I dropped my chopsticks…Po, could you help me get them please?"

The panda nodded as he bent over to grab the eating implements, meeting Tigress face-to-face underneath the table.

"So…good fortune?" He asked her with teasing eyes.

She smiled softly at him, pressing a gentle kiss to his cheek, "Better than you'll ever know."


	2. Chapter 2

_**Elegant, Graceful, and Clumsy**_

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**Disclaimer: **Kung Fu Panda is © 2008 DreamWorks Animation SKG

A/N: The inspiration for this quick short came to me while doing yard work earlier today...Enjoy!

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**Quickie Two**

_Even on a Saturday_

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It looked to be another stunning day..the sun was rising slowly in the east, the rims of the mountaintops glistening in the strong light. The gong, just as it did every day, rang without a moment's hesitation, rousing the Masters from their deep slumber. In a matter of a few seconds, five of them had opened the doors to greet their master.

"Good Morning, Master Shifu!" They greeted him in chorus, palms in fist.

He raised his hand up; apparently he wasn't in the mood this morning for his students and their pleasantries…surprise, surprise. "Where is the Panda? Please don't tell me he's oversleeping again…" Perking his ears in the direction of Po's room—and hearing the distinct sound of the panda's soft snoring—his suspicions were proved correct.

The red panda made his way down the hall towards the panda's door, feeling his student's eyes on him as he paced ever so slowly past them. He grabbed onto the door handle, ripping the door open with a force no man his size should have possessed.

"PANDA!" He yelled, prodding the bear with his staff, "Get your fat, lazy rump out of bed this instant!"

Still completely unaware of his surroundings, Po sleepily waved his arm in the air, dazedly moaning out, "Yeah, okay dad…just gimme like, ten more minutes. I'll get the oregano…"

Since her room was directly across from his, Tigress was able to fully watch the display between her master and the Dragon Warrior. She folded her arms across her chest and smirked, waiting to see how Shifu would handle the panda's insubordination.

Ears flat against his head and tired of listening to Po's absent-minded prattling over a grocery list, Shifu boomed, "NOW!" startling the panda so much that he rolled right off of his bed, landing on a deeply disgruntled red panda with a resounding thud. In the hall, the others desperately tried to suppress their laughter, lest they wanted to receive the brunt end of Shifu's rage.

Now fully awake, and soon realizing what he had done, Po quickly rolled off of the red panda, apologizing profusely, "Oh jeez! Uh, Shifu, I…I'm sorry, I-I didn't mean to—a-are you okay!?"

"Do I _look _'okay' to you, Panda?" Shifu scowled, dusting off his robes, "I realize it is Saturday, but your rampant habit of sleeping in is unacceptable; therefore, for the rest of the day, I am curtailing your training and having you tidy the Palace grounds, instead. Do you understand?"

Po, not wanting to anger his Master any further, bowed and nodded.

"Good. As for you Tigress," he pointed at the feline, "You will help him do this."

"B-But Master, I didn't do anything!" She protested, her temper stoked.

The red panda returned an evil smirk, concealing his hands within his sleeves, "I don't want to hear your innocent student routine; I saw you laughing when this big oaf fell on me…"

Her ears flattened against her skull, "Yes, Master Shifu."

The panda and tiger had quickly retired to the meditation garden following breakfast, as per Shifu's instruction, push brooms and pails in hand. They were to pick up any loose debris in the courtyard first, and then tackle the arena stands, where their most daunting work most likely would be. They soon got to work, sweeping twigs and leaves into neat, tidy piles.

Every so often, Po would steal a glance at the tiger, his guilt having doubled since breakfast. _She doesn't deserve to be out here…this was my fault. I guess I could always apologize, but I've gotta be the last person on earth she wants to talk to…_

"Tigress?" He said slowly. She didn't look up at him, but gave him clear indication that she was listening, "I…I'm sorry about what happened before."

She sighed, shrugging her shoulders, "Why? It _is _Saturday, Po…I'm sure that you aren't used to getting up this early in the morning, especially on weekends. But thank you for the apology, anyway." The feline continued sweeping, until she felt Po's hand grab the end of the broomstick. She looked up at him, noting the smile on his face.

"What?" She asked.

"Y'know, I can finish this up by myself, why don't you go take a break?"

"Really Po, it's fine. We'll get this done much faster if we—" she was cut off when Po leaned forward and softly pecked her lips.

"No, I want you to enjoy your day off." He voiced softly, removing the broom from the tiger's loosened grip.

Tigress stood still for a moment, letting the impact of the kiss sink in. She looked at him again and smiled, grabbing the broomstick, "Who said I wasn't enjoying myself?" She growled and yanked the broom out of his hands, carelessly tossing it aside like a rag; seizing the moment, the tigress pounced on the panda and wrestled him to the ground, letting her claws out and letting them dig into his shoulders.

"Now, _Dragon Warrior_, prepare for your _real _punishment."

"Tigress, cut it out!" The panda laughed.

She smirked, "Not a chance, Master Po…you should have known better not to provoke me."

The tiger cupped his chin in her hand and purred, shoving her lips against his. She kept him in that submissive position for a while, or at least, until he threw a handful of leaves in her face, effectively turning the tables on the overconfident tiger. As the two rolled around in the garden, laughing and ardently shirking off their chores, they never once noticed that Master Shifu had been watching their little 'show' the entire time.

The red panda sighed calmly, "All work and no play…"

He chuckled before slowly retreating back inside.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Elegant, Graceful, and Clumsy**_

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**Disclaimer: **Kung Fu Panda is © 2008 DreamWorks Animation SKG

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**Quickie Four**

_First Date_

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She was late.

She was already ten minutes late for her first date. The tiger tore though her bedroom, feverishly tearing apart any and all of her personal belongings, desperately trying to locate her jewelry box…the man who came up with the phrase 'first impressions mean everything' was certainly having his fun tonight.

For the first time in her life, Tigress had given herself a full inspection of how she looked, from head to toe. Not that she considered herself pretty or attractive, but it was enough to coax the feline into spending two hours alone, picking the perfect clothes, the right perfume, and now: trying to locate that damned jewelry box.

But at what cost?

Now she understood why it took Viper so long to get ready in the morning…

Finally, five minutes later (and after tearing her closet to pieces) she had found it; a small wooden box, intricately carved with peach blossoms. Opening it, she found the lotus blossom clip she had purchased years ago, in a moment—at least in her opinion—of emotional and personal weakness. Tigress sighed in relief, but she was still late.

She sprinted down the hallway, shouting a quick 'see you guys later', tearing through the doors to the bunkhouse and down the steps to the Valley, where her date, she hoped and prayed, would still be waiting for her…_Po is going to hate me for this…_

After spending countless hours training exclusively under Shifu, the panda had finally gotten the grumpy old red panda to grant him the permission to ask Tigress out on a date. It wasn't Shifu's cynicism that was kicking in, not entirely…as her master, and as her father, he just didn't want to see his little girl get hurt. This _was _her first date, after all…

As for Po's father, well, he was ecstatic. She burst through the front door of Ping's restaurant, gasping for air. While the other patrons confusedly looked amongst each other, thinking they were under attack, Tigress locked eyes with the panda's father as he slowly walked up to her, a soft smile gracing his bill.

"Ah, Master Tigress…it's a pleasure, really. I must say you look absolutely stunning this evening."

Clutching a paw to her chest, she managed a few words, "Mr. Ping…where, is Po?"

The goose put a wing up to his beak, absentmindedly scratching the bottom of his bill. His brown eyes scanned around the open courtyard, noting the stunned silence of his customers, "Please Tigress, come inside."

She nodded and followed him into the kitchen, and stood aside as he closed the door behind them, "Now, you're looking for Po? I believe he said he was spending the evening with Master Shifu, down by the river…meditation lessons or something of the sort."

Her heart almost stopped, "What did you say?"

"Is something wrong, Master Tigress?"

The tiger balled her fists as her temper flared, "Po and I were _supposed_ to have dinner together tonight…that's why I'm here. Didn't he say anything to you!?" Oh man, she was going to throttle that fat panda.

Mr. Ping's gaze dropped to the floor, "No, I'm afraid not." He said softly. By the time he looked back up, the door slammed shut in front of him, "Po, my boy, I hope you know what you're getting yourself into…" The goose sighed, and returned to his place at the front counter, taking another soup order.

Sitting atop a large boulder, Shifu listening intently as Po finished off a soft melody. The panda had in his possession a bamboo flute, much like the one his master owned. "Excellent work, Panda. That's really all there is to it."

Po inspected the flute, "Really? You know, I always imagined it being much harder than this…"

"It depends on how quickly one can hone their skills, and you've mastered it wonderfully." Shifu reasoned, "So…how do you think your father fared against Tigress?"

The panda chuckled, "My dad's a strong man, he can hold his own."

"Well," the red panda stood, "I'd best be going. Good luck Panda, you'll need it if you want to live to see tomorrow." Shifu quickly left before Tigress found him there. Master Shifu was a capable man, but he knew all too well how his daughter handled her rage…and it was best to just stand aside. Sure enough, before too long, the tiger found the panda sitting near the river's edge.

He sensed her presence and put the flute to his lips, and began playing the tune Shifu had taught him. The song's sweet tone resonated through the tiger's ears as she slowly approached him. Po knew she was furious with him, but there was a double-sided effect to his lessons: the music actually acted as a mild sedative.

He stopped and gently put the flute to his side, "I'm glad you made it."

"Po…" she fell silent, "I…thought we were having dinner together."

"We are, but I thought that maybe meeting here by the river would be a bit more…romantic." He stood up and turned around, his gaze fixating on his date. She was dressed in a ruby-red qipao that stopped just short of her knees, revealing just a dash more than her usual outfit did. He couldn't do anything but gape, quickly stuttering out: "…Whoa, you look just, wow…"

She took several steps forward, blushing from his compliment, "That lyric you played…that's what you and Shifu have been practicing the past couple weeks?"

He nodded energetically, "Yeah, since, you know…I thought that you'd like it."

"Are you kidding me?" she smiled, jumping into his arms, "I love it."

Po chuckled and gently rubbed her back, until a peculiarly strong scent hit his sensitive nose. "Tigress…do you smell jasmine?" He asked, sticking his nose in the air and taking a good whiff of the air around them. She giggled when he shoved his muzzle against her neck, inhaling the sweet scent of the perfume. "Well now, doesn't _somebody_ smell nice tonight…"

She smiled and kissed his cheek, "Leave it for you to notice, it's 'Obsession'."

"No it isn't, I'm just curious," he said smartly.

"Oh, a curious little panda, are you?" Tigress said sweetly, closing the gap between them, "well I hope this will satiate your curiosity until after dinner." She grabbed him by the lapel and shoved her lips against his, pulling away just as he began to get into it.

"Now where are we having dinner?" she asked, gently licking her lips in satisfaction.

He took her hand, "I thought of that new wonton place down the road…"

She smiled knowingly, "The one with the upstairs hotel?"

"Is there really? I had no idea." He smirked, leading her down the road.

"I'm guessing that we will soon enough."


	4. Chapter 4

_**Elegant, Graceful, and Clumsy**_

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**Disclaimer: **Kung Fu Panda is © 2008 DreamWorks Animation SKG

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**Quickie 4**

_Could We Ever Be Together?_

Letting a growl rip through her throat in an obvious show of tenacity, Tigress blocked another stab from Viper as the two sparred in the training hall. They moved so quickly through the course that they appeared as nothing more than a green and orange blur, furiously dodging and striking each other as if this fight was their very last. They finally hopped onto the Jade Tortoise Bowl, both of them staring each other down from opposite ends of the large tunicate. Finally, Viper struck, jabbing at the striped cat with innumerable jabs from her tail. Tigress was able to block each one, stabbing back with her own flurry of hard punches…but the tree viper was able to hold her ground, gracefully twisting her form to keep away from the tiger's assault.

After quite a bit of time guessing and analyzing which move their opponent would use next, Viper quietly conceded to the tiger, finding that they were evenly harmonized in each offensive strike. If Viper could walk (or slither) away from a match without a mark from Tigress' overly-explosive offensive techniques, she considered it a victory in her book. The two bowed and hopped from the course, landing safely on solid ground.

For her part, Tigress was deeply impressed at how well Viper was able to handle herself during their match—it was the first time they had sparred that she didn't come out victorious over her reptilian friend.

"Viper, I have to say your techniques are becoming harder to match; I could barely keep up!"

Viper chuckled into her coils, smiling at the feline, "Thanks Tigress…it was nothing, really. You know, it's interesting, since this is the first time we've trained together in over a month."

The tiger cocked her head slightly, "Are you sure? It doesn't seem like that long to me…"

The snake nodded, "Well, ever since Po's been training here, you've always wanted to be his partner. Why is that?"

Tigress was, to say the very least, perplexed by her friend's question, but even more amazing was that she herself hadn't even seemed to notice that she had devoted most of her time to exclusively training the panda, other than when they had one-on-one sparring matches…

"It _is _interesting. I mean, I'm not really sure why I'd be spending so much time—"

"Oh _come __**on**_, Tigress!" Viper rolled her eyes, "I may seem naïve at times, but I can sense these things miles away…you like him, don't you?"

"Viper…"

The serpent smiled and giggled knowingly, "Well, _do _you?"

Tigress glared at her, "Please Viper! I'm not attracted to that fat oaf…it's out of respect for him being the _Dragon Warrior_, _okay_?" she seethed, placing emphasis on her words. Before Viper could say anything further, her training partner stormed out of the training hall, her anger boiling like water over white-hot coals.

While Viper stood alone, confusedly trying to figure out why her feline comrade had a hissy-fit over a simple question, the men of the Palace, minus Master Shifu, were congregated in the kitchen, Po preparing lunch while the others were engaged in light conversation. The panda was so engrossed in his cooking that he was unable to keep track of what the others were talking about, although he could only imagine what the topic of the day was.

"So, you think he has a thing for her, then?" Monkey asked, taking a bite out of one of his famous cookies.

Mantis, who had seated himself comfortably on the primate's shoulder, nodding fervently at his question, "Is it not obvious? Those two are always spending time together…there's got to be something going on…"

Crane tipped his hat up, glaring at the two. He obviously didn't share their cynicism, "You two are cracked. She's as distant emotionally from him now as the day he defeated Tai Lung. They only train together because she likes beating the snot out of him."

"Hey Po," Mantis called from Monkey's shoulder, "You and Tigress…what's going on there?"

"What do you mean?" The panda asked.

"Why are you two always training together?" he clarified.

"Dunno," Po shrugged, dicing a handful of vegetables. "Is there something wrong with that?"

"Well, you tell us. We think that you and she have a 'thing' going on." Monkey snickered while Crane shook his head; Mantis was in a fit of hysterics by this point, but all the panda could do is flush in embarrassment, and then, anger. He turned on his heel and glared at them.

"Are you _nuts_!" He yelled, "I can't even lay a finger on her, let alone have a _thing _for her—"

Mantis interjected, "Hey, it was just out of curiosity…"

"NO, alright! We're not like that!" Po tossed a ladle into the pot and walked out of the room.

"Po, where are you going?" Monkey called after him. "What about lunch!"

"_Make it yourselves_!" Came the panda's curt reply.

The other three males exchanged glances with each other, wondering in astonishment what in the hell had just happened.

The panda found himself walking down the bunkhouse hallway towards his room, his fists balled in anger. _Incredible…yeah, we're madly in love, that'll be the day. Even the slightest hint that I had feelings for the woman, she'd tear me to shreds—_He stopped dead in his tracks, knocking directly into Tigress, who was also heading for her bedroom from the training hall.

They both fell backwards, falling onto the hard wood floor. Po, naturally thinking it was one of the others, raised his voice, "Hey! Watch where you're—" Only then did he realize that he'd bumped into a very flustered feline. "Oh, Tigress! Jeez, here, let me help you up…" He held his hand out, and she slowly, as if questioning the decision, grabbed onto his paw, letting him pull her from the floor.

"I didn't realize it was you."

Tigress shook her head, "No, it's my fault…I should have watched where I was going. Is something wrong?" She asked, keeping her eyes glued to the floor.

"No, but the guys are cracking jokes about us training together."

Her eyes darted up to his face, "I understand. Viper made the same observation…she seems to think that we—"

"—like each other?" Po finished, smirking when she nodded.

A temporary look of disgust befell the tiger, "I know…could you just imagine: us, _together_?"

They shared a good laugh as their eyes connected, "I know! It's stupid, isn't it? To think that…you and I—that we could possibly ever, uh…" the more he stared into those fiery red eyes, the more he tried to resist thinking the unthinkable: _She does have a nice face. No, NO! She will kill you if you even think about it! _But as the seconds wore on, he became lost in her intoxicating gaze.

Tigress felt her legs get weak as she stared more intensely into his deep green eyes. In her mind, she was screaming at the top of her lungs, telling herself to break away from his gaze; that she couldn't possibly have any feelings for him…that it just wasn't possible. He stole the Dragon Scroll from her, took away her only chance to prove her worth. He had made a mockery of her practice of kung-fu, made it look like mere child's play, and yet…she just couldn't tear herself away.

"I hope you don't think I'm being too forward or anything, but, do you think that one kiss would really kill us?"

"N-no…" She responded slowly. "Besides, one kiss never really means anything, right?"

"Of course not."

Cautiously, Po framed her face with his hands, and brought them both closer together until Tigress worked up the nerve to take the final plunge, closing the gap with her lips. For a fleeting moment, both tiger and panda lost all consciousness in what they were doing. Po felt her arms slip around his neck, so he reciprocated and laced his arms around her back, as if they were latching themselves to one another, propelling their bodies deeper into this warm exchange.

It took a few moments, but they slowly separated and gazed into one another's eyes, their faces burning like wildfire at the tingling sensation from their intimate contact.

Trembling, Po managed to whisper, "…oh dear gods,"

"We're such damned fools…" Tigress said softly, "but…I don't care." She purred and pressed her body against his, defied her conscious objections, and reconnected their lips.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Elegant, Graceful, and Clumsy**_

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**Disclaimer: **Kung Fu Panda is © 2008 DreamWorks Animation SKG

A/N: This short is based on events in an earlier story I posted, following events in Chapter 5 of 'Between the Past and the Present'.

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**Quickie Five**

_Break of Dawn_

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Tigress awoke slowly from her deep sleep; it was still dark outside, and the bunkhouse was filled to the rafters with tranquil silence. As her eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness, she noticed that she wasn't in her bedroom. She slowly sat up, trying to figure out where she had laid down to sleep the night before. That's when it hit the tiger like a ton of bricks…

She glanced to her right, and gazed upon Po's sleeping form, lying so gently in bed next to her. She smiled and dropped her head back on the pillow, replaying the previous night's events through her head. How could she even forget what they had done? It had been the most incredible night that the feline could even remember; just reminiscing on it sent shivers down her back.

Po, the loveable soul, so gentle and carefree…and Tigress, the headstrong, proud feline warrior…

In a moment of what she could only describe as being driven by passion, they had given themselves to each other; bared their hearts and souls out to one another. The flashing images of their love tore through the feline's mind like a violent thunderstorm. She looked at him again. He was flat on his back, mouth wide open and his tongue hanging from his mouth. She couldn't help but smile at the pathetic sight—perhaps that was what it was that she loved so much about the panda.

It could have been his personality, or even his laugh, that made him so irresistible. As ridiculous at it seemed, they were perfect for each other. How was it so complicated to explain but so simple to see? They were so different, yet one in the same; like he was the Yin to her Yang…or rather, it was _her_ who possessed Yin qualities.

But perhaps that was her fault.

Ever since she was a child, she had but up an emotional barrier between herself and her fellow masters, her friends. She wasn't the kind of person to wear her emotions on her collar very often. There were many times where she would use her conscious as the driving force in her life, always thinking with her mind rather than her heart…her training was her top priority, and everything else, well, was second down.

Viper may very well have been the only person she would confide in, but even then she mostly kept her thoughts to herself. Tigress could remember the countless times Viper had tried to convince the feline to accompany her to the village, to escape the confines of the Palace and, in her words: 'live a little'…but she always refused, unless Master Shifu had ordered her to run errands. The tree snake, compassionate and persistent as she was, wanted Tigress to try and forget about her training, and enjoy her teenage years…unfortunately never happened. She remained hard to the concept, never wanting or even caring enough to pursue ventures outside of her ultimate goal: to obtain the Dragon Scroll.

Tigress often scoffed at Viper's tardiness to morning training, pressing the issue that she didn't need to focus on her personal appearance—that training was the only thing that mattered. The tree snake shrugged it off, knowing better than to stoke the feline's explosive temper by dragging out the argument of what and what wasn't dishonorable.

She pondered the word…_Dishonorable, does that mean that I—_she turned and looked at Po again; a smile graced his face, mumbling incoherently as if he was dreaming. The feline gently stroked the fur on the panda's head, smiling at his simplistic and lighthearted composure…she thought it was adorable.

After about a minute or so, Po softly called out to her, his vocals not higher than the softest whisper, "Tigress…do you, really love me..?"

He snorted and kicked his leg out before turning back on his side. Now she was facing his back, grinning almost as ridiculously as he often did, now knowing that even in his sleep he was thinking about her.

The feline sighed, and lay her head back on the pillow, refocusing her attention to the ceiling. Slowly she closed her eyes, and began replaying in her mind the first few turbulent days with him living under the Palace's roof, and especially the hard time she had given him, even after he had proven himself. Tigress often found herself wondering why, even after Po had defeated Tai Lung and fulfilled the prophecy of the Dragon Warrior, that she continued to mock his place among them as a master. She tried whisking these darker thoughts away, but to no avail. They stuck like a thick glue, forever fastening themselves to her sub-conscious.

She overheard conversations between the panda and the other Five, and even they agreed that something wasn't right about how the feline had been behaving…

"_Po…" _she remembered Viper say, _"What's wrong? You've been depressed all day…talk to me."_

"_Alight Viper, I'll bite—why does Tigress hate me so much?"_

There was a significant gap of silence before the serpent answered him, _"I don't think she hates you Po. She's always been like this…kind of emotionally distant from all of us. After a while, you just learn to take the cards you're dealt."_

Tigress could never forget what Viper had said; her heart had nearly broken in two and dropped to the pit of her stomach…she didn't mean to be so closed, so unyielding. But what could she do? There was no one she could trust, no one she could turn to…then she heard Po sigh, pressing further.

"_But she hates me more than that…she yells at me, beats on me whenever she gets the chance to. To be perfectly honest, it hurts. I've tried everything to get her to like me, or just even crack a smile, y'know? But no matter what I do, she seems to hate me just a little bit more for it. I'm beginning to think that she still doesn't want me around…"_

"_Po…don't worry about a thing. She'll come around eventually, just give her time."_

At that moment, Tigress wanted nothing more than to just run into that kitchen, to fall on her knees and beg the panda's forgiveness, but something stopped her…her mind stopped her. _He isn't worthy of her sympathy_, it would say, _he doesn't deserve your kindness_.

She snapped her eyes back open, breathing hard. She just needed more time to sort out her thoughts. She grabbed her personal belongings and crept towards the door…until she stopped dead in her tracks. She turned around, tip-toeing as quietly as she could, and fell to her knees before the resting panda. She gently rubbed her thumb across his cheek, placing a soft kiss on his lips before she whispered, "I love you Po…please forgive me."

The feline stood upright again, and quietly slipped out of his bedroom to find a quiet place to meditate: the Sacred Peach Tree.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Elegant, Graceful, and Clumsy**_

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**_**Disclaimer: **Kung Fu Panda is © DreamWorks Animation SKG

Inspiration for this quickie came from spending some quality time with an old childhood friend…

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**Quickie 6**

_Forgotten Childhood Memories_

…

"_Please _Master, it'll only be until sundown…"

"Absolutely not." Shifu replied. "You must get to your training."

"But Master! The festival's only two days long, and-"

"I said _no, _Tigress!" His staff struck the floor harshly, causing a loud boom to echo throughout the hall. "Do not challenge your Master. I forbid you from going to that festival, and that's final-"

And so they argued like this for a while longer. The young feline stood her ground as her Master told her off, valiantly pouting against his wishes like any child her age would do. Shifu had kept Tigress on a much tighter leash than he had with Tai Lung…perhaps in a vain hope that he would not repeat his mistake. But much like others her age, Tigress was more interested in not spending every waking moment training…

"You must understand that life isn't all fun and games." He continued to berate her. "You must resist the urge to fall victim to such nonsense. It is not the way of a true warrior act so foolishly…" Shifu stopped himself when he felt a light tap on his shoulder.

"What seems to be the problem here, old friend?"

"Nothing, Master," the red panda turned around and bowed respectfully. "Nothing is wrong."

"Tigress seems upset, Shifu. So surely there must be something wrong." The tortoise chuckled. He turned to her. "What is the problem, dear?"

"Master Shifu won't let me go to the festival." She sniffed. "He says I have to train."

"I see," Oogway nodded. "Well, I certainly see no harm in letting her go, Shifu…"

"But Master, I…"

"Ah, Shifu, don't deny her some time to herself if she needs it. Surely you could sacrifice a few hours to relax so she can enjoy herself. Life isn't meant to be spent alone in a hot training hall, is it?"

The red panda let out a heavy sigh, bowing to the old sage. "Very well, Master Oogway. Tigress," he turned to the tiger. "You may go. But I expect to see you before sundown. Am I understood?"

"Really? Thank you, Master!" She smiled, hugging the red panda. Tigress quickly rushed passed the two kung fu masters and bolted right through the doors to the training hall, practically bounding down to the village below…

…

"Po, my boy, it's a big day for you today!" Mr. Ping chirped excitedly. He fretted around his kitchen, grabbing various utensils and bowls, stacking them all on a large wooden cart. His last step was to tie his trademark noodle apron around his son. He stepped back to inspect his work…then smiled.

"Look at you, all ready to attend the noodle cart all by _yourself_. I'm so proud of you!"

Po, on the other hand, didn't look anywhere near as excited as his father was. Yes, Mr. Ping's business was the pride of the old goose's life, a legacy that he would pass on to his son when the time came. But Po wasn't interested in selling noodles today.

"Dad," The panda said slowly. "Do you think that maybe, like, I could go to the festival without the noodle cart? Maybe?"

The goose chuckled. "Then how would you sell noodles, son?"

"No, I mean…so I wouldn't have to sell noodles. And have fun at the festival instead of working?"

"Now son," Mr. Ping sighed. "Fun and games don't put dinner on the table, you know…"

Po grunted, but didn't want to upset his father. "Yeah, I know."

The goose saw the saddened look in his son's eyes. "Aw, now son, don't think about work as being a bad thing. I promise you that tomorrow you can spend the entire day at the festival with your friends if you wish, okay?"

The panda's facial expression softened somewhat, but one could tell he was still rather disappointed.

"Alright then, off you go!" The bird patted Po on the back, who was rolling the cart out into the busy streets. "I'll be there to check on you in a while, son…maybe tonight I'll teach you how to play mahjong!" He smiled and walked back inside, watching Po as he disappeared into the crowds.

…

This was boring. And not even just boring, really; this was _agonizingly _boring. Po still had absolutely no idea how noodles could bring such joy to his father's life, working nonstop day in and day out. He always cared first and foremost about work - like it was the passion of his life, or something like that. Gods, did his father not know what this did to him? Making him think about these ridiculous things? Noodles, don't noodles…

It was close to an hour after Po had set up and began selling noodles to a number of different customers that a young girl's voice called out to him for service.

"Er…hello? Is there anyone here?"

"Yeah, over here miss," He quickly responded. Po hopped off his seat and walked around the cart, coming face-to-face with a female tiger, who didn't look to be much younger than he was. She looked just as confused as he surely did, staring back at her with that odd little frown on his face. "Is there something I can help you—uh, with…"

Oh boy, if there was one thing Po could never stand to do, it was talking to girls. And she was no exception.

"…uh, hrmm…w-what I mean i-is, is that…um…"

She smiled and giggled at him, "Is something wrong?"

"I'm selling noodles when I _should _be having fun," He sighed, sitting back down. "You can fill in the rest, if you'd like." Seconds later, he felt a paw slip into his, pulling him from his seat. "What are you doing? I can't just _leave_!" Po waved his free arm in the air as he was being dragged away from the cart.

"Come on Panda, you and I both need a break…"

"But what about my cart -"

"Don't worry, it'll still be here when we get back."

He was taking a big risk here; if there was one thing Po never wanted to do, it was to disappoint his father. However, the temptation of attending the festival - which he'd wanted to do from the very beginning - was enough to change his mind.

The afternoon wore on rather quickly, and the sun was kissing the very tips of the sugarloaf mountains that surrounded the valley before the young feline and bear found themselves utterly exhausted from the day. The almost countless booths, shops and games they had gone to were a testament to that. As a consequence, they'd both forgotten that both of their elder figures would be expecting them soon. Mr. Ping had gone to check on his son hours before, only to find the abandoned noodle cart under the care of Mrs. Hu, Ping's swine neighbor.

And as for Master Shifu…

He was steaming over the fact that Tigress had so unashamedly disobeyed him like this.

Tiger and panda were just leaving a booth when they were found out.

The feline looked at a small velveteen tiger doll in her hand. "Thanks for winning me this plushy, Po, I love it," she beamed, squeezing the prize tightly between her paws.

"Eh, it was nothing, really…" He smiled goofily when she passed him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"I'm serious. I really appreciate this -"

"_Tigress!_" Master Shifu barked, trotting angrily up to them. He was almost out of breath. "Come with me _immediately! _Your actions are inexcusable!" The red panda grabbed her hand and pulled her away, and before Po was able to say a word to either of them, they had both disappeared into the crowds.

He looked down; the small tiger doll lay face down in the dirt. Po picked it up, rubbing its button eyes with his thumb to clear away the dust that had gathered on them. Part of him wanted to try and pursue them, to give her back her prize that symbolized their friendship, but, he'd never gotten her name. All she said was that she went by Tigress…and nothing else. Relenting, the bear stuffed the toy in his pocket and plodded sadly back home, where his father was waiting impatiently in the courtyard for him.

"Po," he said sternly. "Come inside. I'm very disappointed with you tonight." The bird folded his wings behind his back and turned away from him, walking inside the house.

Before he disappeared inside, Po turned his gaze towards the sky, and caught the Jade Palace gleaming in the light of the moon, and wondered, for the briefest moment, if he'd ever get the chance to see her again.

Maybe, someday…


	7. Chapter 7

_**Elegant, Graceful, and Clumsy**_

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**Disclaimer:** Kung Fu Panda is © 2008 DreamWorks Animation SKG

A/N: Inspiration? Not really. Just an idea I got shortly after watching 'ER'…Enjoy!

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**Quickie Seven**

_It's Contagious_

--

The earliest signs of spring were starting to show beneath the blinding droves of snow, threatening to bury the Jade Palace in a silvery blanket of white. The Valley of Peace had been experiencing what seemed to be the oddest change in weather anyone could remember. It was so extreme that snow had found itself falling on the typically blossoming landscape of the valley's foothills.

But the frosty weather wasn't the only problem the villagers were dealing with. An outbreak of influenza, brought down by migrant workers from the frozen north had charged its way through the valley's homes and businesses, threatening to extinguish everything in its path. Luckily the strain wasn't as potent as many feared, thus sparing the many lives in danger. However bleak the situation seemed, at least in the valley's eye, the weather was taking a turn for the better; temperatures were slowly rising and the tiniest markers of springtime were beginning to show through.

Up in the Jade Palace, however, there were some unresolved issues.

The temperatures at their altitude were still much too cold, and in turn it had snowed for days on end, with no signs of letting up. Po, being one of the only Masters in the Palace to frequent the valley below, had brought himself back carrying the flu. He had spent some much needed time with his ailing father, and after three days of bedside assistance and countless bowls of his infamous soup, Mr. Ping was as strong as he'd ever been. But his son hadn't been as lucky—

"_Ah-choo!"_

Another batch of sneezes echoed through the student barracks. It was especially late, and the Five were loosing sleep over the ill-fated and sick-prone Dragon Warrior. Master Viper, being the only one who had an extensive, and almost encyclopedic, knowledge of medicine had quarantined the panda to the confines of his bedroom—strictly forbidding him from setting foot outside his door, lest he come into contact with Viper's 'totally awesome fang technique'…or at least, that's what she told him.

This had gone on for almost ten days now, and his situation had barely improved at all.

Po insisted that he could care for himself, and even attempted to leave his room to prove it; but when Master Shifu threatened to perform the Wuxi Finger hold on him, the panda silently conceded to their boundaries. He would not leave that room under any circumstances.

In the meantime, the Five continued their tedious training as per the usual, somewhat disheartened to know that their normally strong-willed—and admittedly hard-headed—comrade in arms was in such a weakened state, wallowing in his pain so much that he couldn't even muster up a smile, or heavens forbid use the damn bathroom without someone's help. He couldn't sleep, and couldn't even eat. It was humiliating. It was ridiculous.

It, in Po's words: "sucked." A lot.

But through the thick of it all, the panda wasn't the most depressed soul accounted for. Rather, it was a certain tiger who had seemed to be the most affected. His absence in the training hall, or spotting the empty chair at the kitchen table…or even being forced to eat take-out because Po couldn't even cook for them, well; it had really gotten to her.

She hadn't seen him in ten days.

And every agonizing night that she did manage to garner just a few hours of blissful sleep, she would awaken to the sound of his never ending coughing and choking. Tigress was determined to see him, to spend just one minute with the one she loved. True, neither panda nor tiger had spilled that they had been secretly seeing each other for months, but Crane and Viper were riding on a hunch that something was up. There had to have been more to their friendship than either of them were letting on…

So there she was, sneaking through the darkness of an unlit corridor, with a bowl of hot soup in hand…it wasn't Po's special of course, but it was food, wasn't it? She crept to his door and took a deep breath, sliding it open as delicately as possible. And there she saw him, lying on his back, coughing his lungs out.

Tigress smiled and slowly walked in, closing the door behind her, as to not alert the others to where she was. The feline walked over to his bedside and crouched down, putting the bowl on his nightstand before gently jostling the panda's shoulder.

Po looked at her, his eyebrows creasing in aggravation. "Tigress…" he whispered in a coarse voice, "you're not supposed to be in here. Shifu swore he'd blow me away if I disobeyed him."

"Look, I know I shouldn't be in here, but Viper told me you haven't eaten in days, besides," She sighed, running her fingers through the fur between his ears, "Shifu can't keep you away from me forever."

He cracked a small smile, "So then, what're you doing here?"

"I want you to eat something."

She pushed the bowl towards him. He made a face and looked up at her, "I can't eat. I need my mouth to breathe."

The tiger gave him a stern look, and held the bowl to his mouth, "If you don't drink this, I'll break your legs." She smirked when he complied, letting her tilt the bowl forward to his lips. As the panda drank the steaming broth, she couldn't help but feel the slightest twinge of pride in what she was doing…not to mention that Po looked positively adorable when he was incapacitated. After all about a minute or so, he had completely devoured the contents of the bowl.

He weakly wiped his lips with his arm and rested his head back down, releasing a contented sigh.

"Y'know Tigress, that soup was really good…who made it?"

Tigress flushed slightly, "That would be me. I tried my hand in the kitchen after I watched you make your soup. I'm glad you liked it."

"Y-you made it?" Po asked, dumbstruck.

She nodded, and caught his gaze. "I brought you some dessert as well…we need to get something else in your system."

"No no…I-I couldn't possibly—" he was silenced when she tapped a finger to his lips. She leaned over him and dropped her eyelids, just staring aimlessly into his jade green eyes, her lips curled upward just slightly so that he could see her white fangs glistening in the candlelight.

"I…wasn't asking you a question, was I?" She let out a slow breath, letting her lips hover just centimeters over his.

He felt her warm breath wash over his face. It was…intoxicating. He wanted it; the gods in the heavens above knew that he wanted it. _And risk getting her sick? For the love of the gods, Man, listen to reason for once in your miserable life!_ But he shook his head and whispered, "No, you weren't."

Tigress let her lips gently graze against his, "Then…open wide, panda."

He coughed and pushed her away, "No, Tigress. I don't want you getting sick because of me…" Again he coughed, pushing her even further away from his face, "The last thing I want right now is you knocked out with the flu, okay?"

"But…"

Now it was his finger that pressed against her lips. "I mean it, Tigress. Look, there's nothing I'd love more than to have you here with me, so we could sit here all day, choking and gagging together, but understand one thing—"

Against everything he'd just said, she growled and vigorously pressed her muzzle against his. She bit down a satisfied moan when she felt Po's arms come up her sides, gently pulling her towards him. Purring against his lips the feline gripped his shoulders and climbed on top of him, loosing herself to the moment, tuning out everything but the soft sounds of their subdued groans and snarls.

Try as he might, Po couldn't push her away, and it wasn't because he didn't have the strength to; it had been two torturous weeks without her near him. Truth be told he missed her like crazy. It was obvious that she needed this just as badly as he did, whether he was infirm or not—besides, _if _she got sick they'd have much more time alone. _A lot _more time alone.

_Oh, now I like the sound of that._

With newfound strength, the panda rolled them over and pinned Tigress down, pressing her against the bed mat, fully intending to make up for two weeks' worth of lost time—

"Am I interrupting something?"

They both jumped and sat upright. Tigress blushed, forcing herself to calm down. "V-Viper!" She gasped, "I didn't expect to see you here…I…I was just bringing Po some soup, a-and I…"

She slithered across the room and placed a cold compress on the nightstand, taking a sidelong glance at the tiger, mischief shining in her eyes, "I…appreciate the uh, _help_, Tigress…but I don't think that seducing my patient was _quite_ what I had in mind… for starters, I'm going to have to ask you to move in here for awhile, since you know full well that you've contracted Po's flu by doing…_that_."

Panda and tiger looked at each other, and then at the serpent. Tigress opened her mouth to say something, but snapped it shut, rendered utterly speechless by Viper's words. Naturally, Po did the talking instead.

"So…she's gonna stay in here?"

Viper nodded, "Unless you'd like me to make other arrangements…"

"No no," Tigress conceded, slipping off the panda's bed mat, "I shouldn't contaminate my bedroom, a-and I'm sure Po's more than okay with me spending a few days in his room," She turned to Po, "Right?"

Po silently agreed. With a large grin on her face, the feline bolted out of the room and across the hall. In the meantime, Viper shot Po a quizzical look, while he had his own look of bemusement across his ashen face. She wanted to choose her words wisely. Anything alluding to the fact that the news of the panda and tiger's relationship would spread like wildfire now that Viper knew what was going on…and she'd be a dead woman.

"…I've never seen anyone get so excited over catching the flu."

The panda merely smiled, covering his mouth so as not to get her ill as well, "True, but ya' gotta admit you've never seen Tigress get excited over anything."

"Touché…I guess she really missed you."

"I guess she did."

The serpent bit down a laugh upon Tigress' hastened return, biting back a huge grin as she stumbled into the room carrying stacks of pillows and blankets…all of which she dumped onto the floor, right next to Po's bed mat. Tigress comfortably took a seat on the pile she'd made for herself and laid down next to the ill panda, covering herself up and letting a contented sigh escape her lips. Taking a moment to make sure they were all settled in, Viper hastily slithered over to the door, cracking the rice paper door open just a bit before turning back around to look at them…

…and smiled at the sight.

Po had rolled onto his side, resting his head against his forepaw and taking Tigress' hand in the other, stroking her knuckles and smiling at her in a way Viper had only read about in her romance novels. She turned away and pushed the door open further, until she heard Po clear his throat, grabbing her immediate attention.

"Viper? Do you mind not…telling Shifu about this?"

She smirked, "About getting Tigress sick? Or how your tongue acted like a syringe when it likely probed its way into her—"

"_Thank _you Viper." Tigress retorted.

"Well, I'd better get going. If you need anything, let me know…" The tree viper stifled a thunderous laugh before pushing the door closed behind her.


	8. Chapter 8

_**Elegant, Graceful, and Clumsy**_

Disclaimer: I don't own 'Kung Fu Panda'.. Alert the media!

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_Okay, so after watching Kung Fu Panda for the sixth time, I contemplated the morning after Po's arrival at the Jade Palace. You know the scene; The perfect split routine where Tigress leapt up into the air and shattered those two stone discs?__ I couldn't help but wonder why they never showed the audience the sparring match between Po and Tigress, so here's my take on it.. Plus craziness... _

_Read, Review and Enjoy!_

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Quickie Eight

Sparring With a Master

--

More screams echoed through the courtyard as Master Shifu and his other four students witnessed their fellow Master Viper pummel the big panda with a series of graceful strikes, taking Po down within a matter of seconds.

"I'm sorry brother; I thought you said you were ready…" Viper voiced in a sarcastic tone as she backed away from him, now upside down with his head firmly planted in the ground.

"That.. was _awesome_! Let's go again!" Po wiggled his feet in excitement, making a quick recovery; Viper and Master Shifu exchanged quick glances. With a snap of the fingers, he was put up against Monkey and Crane, failing miserably both times.

Shifu's patience was wearing thin.. This panda couldn't possibly be the Dragon Warrior, and he was consistently proving that by his failure to land even one blow on any of his five students. It was quickly turning into a nightmare, especially now with the looming danger of Tai Lung's unwanted return. Master Shifu had to be confident that the Valley of Peace would be protected; but Master Oogway's choice was final, and Shifu understood that he could not convince the sage tortoise otherwise.

Even then, Po's performance was a bit.. lacking.

With a heavy breath, Master Shifu snapped his fingers a fourth time, getting no response. The red panda lowered his ears and re-entered the courtyard, where only two of his students remained. "Tigress!"

She quickly made a bow. "Yes, Master?"

"You are Po's next opponent…" Shifu wasn't thrilled over this either, but maybe watching his prized student pound the living daylights out of the fat panda would bring him some peace of mind, and another excuse to maybe convince Po that there was no way he would be able to fulfill the title that was 'accidentally' bestowed upon him.

"Panda! Get out here…"

And with a hop, skip, and a jump.. A rather sloppy jump, in fact.. Po was facing Tigress in the courtyard.

He was admittedly nervous to face her; but at the same time his idol was about to spar with him, how awesome was that?

With a reluctant sigh, she nodded and turned to face the giant panda.. The results were typical, as to be expected; Tigress landed one kick to his chest and sent the fledging Dragon Warrior sailing through the air into the Meditation Garden. A thunderous boom was heard; more likely than not he had probably hit a wall.

Master Shifu swiftly paced over to her, wearing a smile on his face. "Excellent work, Tigress.. Now go fetch him so we can get this over with."

She slowly made her way over to the garden to find him sitting at the edge of the reflection pool massaging his temples. Her assumptions of him hitting the wall were right; there was a large gaping hole in the south façade of the building. Tigress alerted Po of her presence by letting a soft growl escape her throat.

Looking up, he managed to muster up a smile, and bowed to her. "Heh, sorry about the mess… I'll clean it up whenever--" He was quickly interrupted.

"What was that look you gave me earlier on today?" She took a few steps forward, maintaining a serious expression on her face.

He was genuinely perplexed by the feline's question. "Look? What look?"

Tigress rolled her eyes in frustration, unknowingly taking a seat next to him. "Don't act innocent; when I leapt up to strike those two stone discs.. _That _look."

Po furrowed his eyebrows, remembering back to earlier in the morning. Then it struck him like a bolt of lightning. "Oh.. OH! Right, _that_ look… Um, well I guess I uh.. Well…" Now wasn't probably the best time to tell her that he secretly had a small crush on her, but nevertheless it slipped out. "…I kind of, you know, _like you…_?" Those last two words escaped his mouth carrying a high tone.

They sat in silence for a brief moment; Po twiddled his thumbs in absolute embarrassment as she gave him the most menacing glare he had ever seen in his life. He thought for sure Tigress was going to annihilate his pathetic existence right then and there..

The female tiger felt heat come to her face; nobody dared to say something like that to her before. "You.. like me?" Her voice was distant, almost at the level of a whisper.

"Ummm, yeah… I do." He chuckled nervously, scratching the fur on his neck.

Tigress stood up and began walking back towards the courtyard, her face was emotionless and her eyes were as wide as dinner plates.

Po was trying desperately to get her attention. "Tigress? Tigress!"

She turned around. "Yes?"

"…Can you let go of my paw please?"

Her crimson eyes darted down towards the ground; she hadn't noticed but their paws were indeed intertwined. "Of course." She quickly took her arm back. Luckily for her Po wasn't able to distinguish the scarlet red blush that had formed on her cheeks. Tigress stopped the giant panda dead in his tracks by placing both of her paws on his shoulders. "Now pay attention, Panda. I don't want the others finding out about this.. understood?"

His eyelids fell. "Not a word."

Tigress let him go and began walking back towards Shifu and the others. Following closely behind her, Po hadn't noticed that a small smirk unwillingly crept onto the Tiger Master's face.

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_Oh, and I forgot to mention one thing: **I am now taking requests! **You heard right readers.. Do you have an idea for a short? If so, drop a review or PM me with your idea!_

_Peace out, ya'lls!!_


	9. Chapter 9

_**Elegant, Graceful, and Clumsy**_

Disclaimer: 'Kung Fu Panda' is not my creation. If it was, I'd be suing DreamWorks for bragging rights...

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_This sketch is based on a request from reader and __fellow __ KFP enthusiast 'brave kid'.. Hope you (and the rest of the community) enjoy!_

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Quickie Nine

Just a Friendly Game of Mahjong

--

"I'm absolutely lost."

"Don't be; Mahjong is only as hard as the player makes it…"

Tigress shot a quick glance at Po, wondering who taught him to speak in metaphors; Master Oogway had done that more often than normal conversation.. It vexed the feline master, but her attention quickly re-focused on the game board. Tigress never really understood the mechanics of board games and what people found so entertaining about them.. Maybe she was just being close-minded, but then again, when wasn't she?

They had spent a good part of the morning in Po's bedroom fussing over the stupid game. The female tiger decided to end this before she wasted any more daylight she could be using to train. "Po, this is ridiculous. We've been here for almost five hours and I haven't learned a thing."

Po's jade green eyes darted up to her face while he laughed. "Stop being so negative.. Shifu left me in charge while he's gone, so why not pass the time doing something fun.. Other than beating the snot out of each other?"

Master Shifu had left on a trip to meet an old friend out past the Highlands, a good three day walk from the Jade Palace. The red panda left Po in charge of affairs in his stead, knowing full well that even though none of his students would get anything accomplished, they could take a much needed break from their intensive training regimens.

She rolled her eyes. "Because we need to be ready for when the next threat emerges.. You never know until it's too late, and we must always be ready. As Kung-Fu Masters, we need to—" Po wouldn't hear any more of it, and slapped a paw to her mouth.

"Please Tigress, why can't you just loosen up a bit and have some fun, huh? Always gotta be so serious about everything…" He took his paw away when he heard a growl erupt from her throat.

Instead of tearing the panda to shreds, Tigress smirked, the first one of the day. "Shut up, you wouldn't know seriousness if it punched you in the face."

Po's eyes teased with hers as he closed the game up, understanding that she wouldn't learn mahjong if she didn't want to. He sighed softly.. Headstrong and stubborn; he could easily return the favor. "_You_ like punching me in the face, don't you?"

She let her eyelids fall as she pulled herself closer to him. "Only if you deserve it."

"Okay, but I'd never to that to you though.."

"And why is that?"

Since the giant panda was never good when it came to arguing with Tigress, he tried the next best thing; Po quickly threw his arms around her, landing a kiss right on the stunned tiger's lips. As her shock willfully melted away, Tigress eased into the exchange, falling back onto the floor with Po right on top of her. Opening her eyes after a brief moment, she noticed that Viper was perched in the doorway, a dumbstruck expression plastered across her face.

The Tiger Master quickly broke away from her male captor and literally threw the panda off of her. "Viper!? What are you doing here??"

Viper smiled weakly and kept her position by the door. "Well, I _was_ going to ask you if you had a minute to talk, but I can see that you're both a little busy." She put her tail up to her mouth to stifle a laugh.

"It isn't what it looks like! …P-Po and I, we were just playing mahjong an-and it got out of hand--" She wasn't getting any leverage on her position; plus the rolling laughter coming from both Viper and Po didn't help the situation at all.. Tigress stood up and pulled Viper back into the hallway, leaving the Dragon Warrior alone to filter his thoughts.

"I'm sorry you had to see that." Tigress wanted to make it sound like it was revolting, even though deep down she was kicking herself knowing that she did enjoy every second of it. "So, what's the emergency meeting for?"

The two female warriors stopped in front of Crane's room. Viper gazed upon the fabric wall separating his private space from the corridor, and with a deep breath, she motioned Tigress to lean forward. She wanted to just blurt out her feelings in a heartbeat, but they just couldn't escape her throat. "I'm sorry. It's a little awkward for me to say.."

Tigress' crimson eyes opened wide with curiosity. "What is it?" The tiger stopped for a moment to think. _'Wait.. Is she going to say what I think she's--' _

"I think I might be in love with Crane." Viper finally blurted it out, although it was much louder than the tree snake had originally intended it to be. Before Tigress could even react to her best friend's revelation, the door next to them flew wide open, with a very perplexed looking Crane standing there before them. Poor guy must have heard everything…

"Viper.. W-What did you say…?" Were the only words to escape the avian's beaked mouth.

Her eyes darted back and forth between him and Tigress; she didn't know what she was going to do now. The reptilian Kung-Fu Master had just experienced one of the most humiliating moments of her entire life. She was almost certain that their friendship was forever tainted by her words…

Tigress, on the other hand, merely gave a supportive grin to both of them. "You heard her; she loves you.. It can't be simpler than that." With a relaxed flick of her tail, she turned around and walked back down the hallway towards Po's room. Silence was all she heard until a soft sliding tap rang through her ears. It was the sound of Crane's door closing shut. Passing a quick glance over her shoulder, the female tiger noticed that they both must have retreated back into his room to mull through what had just happened. Her thought process ran through the feline's mind like a whirlwind, thinking of what the outcome of Viper's blundered words would lead to; the probable outcome made her laugh.

Upon returning to the room, Tigress found Po sitting in the middle of the floor with the mahjong board right in front of him. He smiled once she took a seat opposite the giant panda.

"I'm glad you decided to come back.."

Tigress smiled at his easy going disposition. "I think I'm ready to learn how to play."

Po chuckled softly, picking up the set of dice from the board's surface. "Good, now we should start by going through—"

She interrupted him by taking the dice out of his hands and delicately placing them on the floor. Making sure the door behind her was firmly shut, she purred and swiped the mahjong board aside. "We're not going to need that for the game I had in mind…"

* * *

Haha, keep those requests comin'!


	10. Chapter 10

_**Elegant, Graceful, and Clumsy**_

_**

* * *

**_**Disclaimer:** Look, if I owned 'Kung Fu Panda', Tigress would have been making out with Po at the end of the movie..

Okay, so here's the 10-40 on this sketch.. It will come in three parts, all of which will be posted in succession of one another. After reading a review by 'Moonchild', I realized that with every relationship there must be a backstory. So Moonchild, this one's for you. The three-part collection will be collectively known as 'Hard To Say I'm Sorry'.

Don't worry my other requestful reviewers, your prayers shall not go unanswered! And speaking of reviews, keep them coming, cuz I love 'em!

_

* * *

_**Quickie Ten**

_No Room For Regrets_

--

It had to be the toughest fact to swallow.. There was no hope for anyone now; many of the villagers carried nothing but contempt on their minds, their souls drenched and darkened with doubt. The Valley of Peace had finally fallen to Tai Lung after twenty years of solitude and peace. The Dragon Scroll was useless; the so-called Dragon Warrior, nothing more than two words that held as much value as the Scroll itself. The Furious Five had trained mercilessly for most of their young lives, giving an oath to protect the Valley at all costs, but they had failed. Not even Master Shifu, who had trained at least 45 years their major, could stop him from annihilating the humble little place they all came to know as their home.

They had to run away, _'evacuate'_ as Master Shifu had solemnly put, to keep themselves safe…

But for how long? What would become of them once Tai Lung had exacted his revenge on Shifu for the wasted years and the tainted hopes of becoming the Dragon Warrior.. The vengeful snow leopard would take his former protégé's life from him; No, Shifu was not just a Master to Tai Lung; he was also his father. It wasn't fair; this couldn't be the way things were supposed to happen. The Five were the most skilled Kung-Fu warriors China had ever known. An unvarying risk of Tai Lung following after the group was more than likely, and as every minute passed, the scenario became more and more of a reality.

They were supposed to defeat any threat that emerged, for the honor and sanctity of the art of their trade, to keep the villagers out of harm's way, to make their Master proud… But no, they were completely useless, like old dishtowels hung outside to dry in the sun.

These were the thoughts that ran through her mind. Like a broken record, the battle at the Thread of Hope played again and again, disgusting Tigress more as she thought about it. Then.. a soft whimper. Looking down towards her chest, a young female rabbit lay cringing in the Master's arms, separated from her family in the chaotic flight from the Valley.

"Shh, don't worry little one. We'll find your parents soon.."

Could she fulfill that promise to the youngling? _Don't worry.._ The feline warrior repeated in her mind. It was a fleeting thought, because something jarred her away from her inner sanctum. A thunderous boom unexpectedly rippled through the Valley. Turning her head to view the source of the explosion, she was met with a heavy blast of pure energy as dust flew up at the retreating convoy from the foothills.

Nobody had any clue to what had just happened…

By the time the Five had returned to the outer limits of the small town, the expansive shroud of dust had begun to settle out. Their vision was still impeded, but the sound of cheering just up ahead alerted them that someone, or some-_thing _had defeated the merciless snow leopard. Practically sprinting to the source of the thunderous applause, they soon found their answer; a slightly dazed giant panda had answered their cry for help. Po stood holding his father in a tight embrace as the Furious Five stepped forward, looks of disbelief crossing each of their faces.

'_He.. defeated Tai Lung… H-How could he possibly have.. But, but he did. The Panda did it, didn't he' _The very thought shook Tigress down to her core. Po had single-handedly bested Tai Lung in one move… _Just _one move. Time stopped for the female tiger. After all of the let downs, the discouraging comments, the apparent worthlessness of the Dragon Scroll; Po still believed in its power, and because of it, _because of __**him**_, the Valley of Peace was safe once again.

He rescued them all; Master Shifu, the townspeople, the Five, and her...

Emotion welled up inside of the young feline Master. She wanted to just run up and hug the big goofy panda. But as her heart soared, her mind patted it down gently. Tigress' cool and collected façade had to be maintained, and throwing her arms around him definitely did not personify that kind of image. An alternative crept into her head.

She took several steps forward to Po, keeping her emotions suppressed and her mind clear. Tigress balled her paw into a fist and pressed it against her open palm. "Master." With that… she smiled. It was genuine and true, and she admitted to herself that it just felt good to do that. After all, he deserved it.

Po's jade green eyes connected with hers, making her heart skip a beat. A tingling sensation erupted in her stomach; a feeling which she had never felt before in her entire life. He chuckled slightly and tilted his head. "…Master?" Tigress was nervous at this point; their eyes were still intensely intertwined, as if he could see right past her face and into her deepest, most profound thoughts. But then, realization hit.

"Master Shifu!" He darted back towards the steps to the Jade Palace before shooting her another quick glance. She knew that just calling him a Master wasn't going to be enough, not after what she had put him through… An apology was in order, but this might prove to be more difficult than she wanted it to be.

* * *

Some time had passed since their return to the Valley.. It had now been almost two weeks since that horrendous encounter with Tai Lung, and everything looked to be slowly returning to the status quo. There were celebrations almost every night since then; fireworks and special engagements to commemorate the Dragon Warrior for his victory. Though the recognition of Po's deed had far exceeded any of his wildest dreams, he still remained the same humble panda with the big sense of humor.

Po hadn't anticipated the overwhelming gratefulness from the townspeople, insisting that he didn't need parades or special banquets to thank him for what he had done. The Dragon Warrior had learned humility was much more than a virtue; it was a gift. Po's self-described 'greatest Kung-Fu teacher in all of China' had taught him that…

But the rapid changes hadn't merely stopped at the village. Master Shifu's disposition had drastically evolved over the past couple of weeks, as well as his students. An aura of peace and joy seemed to emanate from Po's cheerful presence, making everyone up at the Jade Palace take their days in stride. The red panda now began regularly joining the six young warriors for dinner, something that he would never have done in the past. Shifu always preferred to eat alone; either in his private quarters or in the Meditation Garden. But now he wanted to be with his students, who had now become like his own children.. He shared their laughs, their thoughts, and daily struggles. It took the Master until just now to realize that the Five had always looked upon him not only as their Master, but as their father-figure as well.

Tigress even had changed, probably almost as much as Master Shifu himself.. perhaps more so.

Conversing with the feline master was a rarity at best, but with the greatest threat of their lifetimes left behind in the past, most of her worries seemed to melt away. The light and jovial atmosphere seemed to cleanse her soul, and it was a wonderful feeling. She could finally enjoy her training and the time spent with her fellow Masters, whether it was sparring in the Training Hall or sneaking up behind Po and tickling him until he wet himself… Okay, that was all Monkey's idea, but the principle remained the same.

Having the panda around was like being on a sugar-high.. You couldn't help but be energetic and happy. The Five had thought endlessly of how to return the favor to him for teaching them how to live again.

--

A soft tap on the door jarred Po from his light nap; it had been a long day. Just because Tai Lung was no longer a threat didn't mean that ruthless training in the Jade Palace would cease..

"Hey Po, you got a minute?" He recognized that calm voice from anywhere. It was Crane.

The giant panda rolled off his mat and stood upright, quickly straightening his fur. "Yeah sure, come on in…"

As he made his way towards the door, it slowly slid open; the Furious Five were all grouped in the hallway. Po noticed a rather large brown paper bundle cradled in Tigress' arms. One by one they all entered the small bedroom as Crane motioned the panda to take a seat.

One of Po's signature grins gradually took hold of his face. "What are you guys up to? Not another tickle attack, I hope." He shot a quick glare at Monkey, who simply shrugged.

"There was no way I was supposed to know you were going to do that.."

The six shared a laugh that seemed to last an eternity. Calming down after a good while, Tigress calmly placed the bundled up offering into Po's lap. "Here, we thought it would be a nice gesture if we bought you a little something.."

"Like a thank-you gift." Viper interjected.

Mantis hopped up onto Monkey's shoulder. "Yeah, so go ahead and open it, big guy."

With a smile, Po nodded and started unraveling the twine that held the package together. "You guys know you didn't have to do this, right? I mean it's nice that you did, but I really don't need anything…"

"Don't be so modest, of course we did… You deserve it." These words came from Tigress, much to the others' shock. Po stopped fussing with the present for a moment once those words hit his ears. He never looked up, but anyone could tell that the panda was deeply impacted by her apparent acceptance of him in the Jade Palace. After a brief moment, he immediately returned to the package.

A huge grin exploded all over his face. "Wow! You guys bought me new pants!" He had unwrapped a pair of black silk slacks; they were expertly hemmed with gold-colored thread. A single golden dragon design traced across the waistband, completing one incredibly nice-looking article of clothing. Po was enamored with it, especially as compared to what he was presently wearing; he had worn those same tattered shorts as far back as he could remember. "I'm gonna try these bad boys on right now!" He bolted from the room to change, returning not three seconds later showing off his classy new threads.

Viper decided to mess with the panda somewhat. "Po, I have to say you look pretty nice in those new digs…"

The giant panda's face went flush red as he turned away in embarrassment. "Naw, come on.. Really?" Thunderous laughter erupted from his room as he made a not so graceful re-entry into the cramped space. Po decided to change the subject before things got out of hand. "How did you guys afford to buy this for me though? I'll bet it was expensive."

The Five's tear-jerking giggling quickly died down into soft looks of satisfaction. Crane was the first to answer him. "Actually, _we _didn't buy you those new pants.." The avian stood aside to reveal a certain Tiger Master, who had by now started making her way towards the open door. "..Tigress did."

She froze in the doorframe. _'So close…' _The female tiger sighed and turned back around to face the group.

Po's smirk faded away into pure wonder as he stared blankly at the clearly uncomfortable tiger. "Y-You bought me these?"

Tigress nodded slightly. "Yes, I did. I thought that it was the least I could do for…" She trailed off; it had completely slipped her mind that she never apologized to him yet. This was definitely not good, especially not with everyone in the room now staring at her with curious eyes. It was absolutely humiliating.. Her subconscious made her buy those stupid pants because of the suppressed guilt she felt.

'_Too late to come to that conclusion now…'_

Po's gaze never faltered from the feline. Although he really didn't know what was on her mind, it didn't take much skill to notice whatever she was hiding wasn't for everyone to hear. He stood up with an easy going smile on his face. "You know what, I think me and Tigress need to have a little private chat.. _If_ that's alright with you guys, of course…"

With several awkward answers of agreement, the other four Masters shuffled out of the room. Making sure that they had all left the bunkhouse, he slid the door shut, leaving them completely alone.

* * *

Okay, what was he up to? Tigress kept her eyes on Po as he peeked out into the hallway, presumably to make sure that nobody was going to be eavesdropping on their private conversation. Before long, he closed the door with gentle force. Po didn't turn around, but with a sigh he broke the awkward silence between them. "Why didn't you just say that you were the one that bought them for me?"

She didn't immediately respond to the panda's question. The tiger's eyes remained trained on the floor as she absent-mindedly took a seat on Po's bedroll. Maybe Tigress should have just verbally apologized to Po two weeks ago and gotten it over with. At least then it would have saved her from going out to buy him a present to say she was sorry for what she had put him through.. Well, not like it mattered anymore, because the wheels were already in motion; she just hoped that he didn't think that it was meant to be more than just an apology…

Po turned around to face the deeply conflicted Tigress; He hoped that shooing the others away wouldn't make things worse. What if she needed them for moral support? _'Oh man, what should I do now? She's not talking…' _Perhaps trying to politely rephrase his question would help soothe her frayed nerves a little.

"They're really nice pants Tigress; I'm just a bit confused as to why you wanted to get me something so nice when I didn't get you anything…" The giant panda pinched the bridge of his nose in self-pity; that did not come out the way he wanted it to. Now it sounded as if he was hitting on her.. Not smart.

'_So much for that idea.'_

Tigress couldn't believe he would say something like that. Was he hinting that he liked her or something? The Tiger Master could feel her vocal cords strain, even before she said anything. "Because I…" She found it much more difficult than she had originally anticipated after what Po had blurted out. _'Come on Tigress, they're just two words: I'm sorry. That's all you have to say…'_

As simpleminded of that plan that sounded, those weren't the words that ended up coming out of her mouth."You know what, just forget about it.. It's just a gift." Tigress mentally kicked herself in the chin. Why couldn't she just say those two stupid words? The female would not look Po in the face; she was much too embarrassed to even lift her head.. Just as you thought you hit rock bottom…

Po was a bit surprised at her answer, but nevertheless pressed the issue further. "No it isn't; you're not telling me something, and I wanna know what's going on.."

Did she think he was that naïve? It was almost clear as day that she was hiding something from him, and he wasn't going to just let it go that easily. Po knew that she was very hard to reach sometimes, never being a very good conversationalist; even in the short couple of weeks he had stayed in the Jade Palace the Dragon Warrior noticed something seemed a bit off-kilter with Tigress. With a renewed sense of determination, he took a seat right next to her on his bed.

She understood that he wasn't giving up without a fight. "It is of no importance." Her answer was flat and unconvincing, and she knew it. _'This is ridiculous, why can't I just say it!?'_

"Yes it is, please just tell me, okay?" He put his paw on her shoulder, and felt her muscles tighten from the gentle contact. "There's nobody else here; it's just you and me…" His voice was calm and soothing, something that made her even more frightened to speak. Why did he have to remind her that they were all alone?

"I already told you it's just a gift."

Po let a lighthearted chuckle escape his throat to brighten the dense atmosphere. "Yeah, I'll believe that when my dad stops being so annoying. Now tell me the truth.."

It was useless; Tigress couldn't argue with that undeniable logic. She took a deep breath and finally let it go. "Fine… I-I'm.. I'm s-sorry." The feline fought the urge to see his reaction, but curiosity overtook her; she turned her head and their gazes almost instantly locked on each other. Tigress felt an immediate calm wash over her as she stared more deeply into his tranquil eyes.. They were absolutely stunning, like an endless sea of cool, emerald green waters that seemed to go on forever.

She wasn't the only one to be taken aback. Po became entranced by her eyes as well; the blazing hues of red and crimson alluded to her explosive and temperamental personality. The longer the panda stared the more hypnotized he became, they were absolutely beautiful, just like her…

Luckily for him be blinked, effectively breaking their gaze. Po shook his head slowly and recollected his thoughts. "You're sorry? For what exactly, you haven't done anything wrong--"

Tigress gave him a low warning growl. "Please Po, this isn't easy for me.."

Po nodded slightly, allowing her to continue. "That first night you were here in the Palace, when I said that you didn't belong here… I, I was wrong." There was a significant gap of silence before Tigress opened her mouth again to drive home her point. "I dishonored myself by refusing to accept Master Oogway's decision. I always thought that _I_ would be the one to become the Dragon Warrior, until you fell in front of me and took that dream away.."

The feline stopped briefly and looked at him with a small frown; Po chuckled nervously, throwing a paw behind his neck. "Well, I guess you got me there."

"So you understand what I'm trying to say?"

After a few seconds to let her words completely soak into his mind, a soft smile grew across his features. "Apology accepted."

The panda leaned forward and pulled the Tiger Master into a tight embrace. At first, Tigress sat in shock that he would be so quick to forgive her, especially after everything she had done to him.. But those worrisome thoughts drifted away as soon as she wrapped her arms around him to return the favor. And then, Tigress did something that she never had done in the past; a single tear ran down her cheek.. Not because she was upset, but rather she was happy. It was then that their mutual respect finally formed into something of an actual friendship.

They sat like that for quite some time, until something seemed to capture the female tiger's attention; It sounded like a low roar. Tigress laughed when she traced the sound to a certain panda's stomach. "Sounds like you could go for a snack."

"Heh, yeah I guess so.." Po broke away from her and stood up, and took Tigress' paw to help her get back on her feet. Once they reached the door, he turned around slightly to face her. "Would you like to join me for a quick snack before I start making dinner?"

The tiger answered him using a sarcastic tone. "Are you asking me out on a date?"

Po laughed as he opened the thin paper door and walked out into the hallway. "Don't say that; Master Shifu would never let me take you out..."

They both shared another laugh as the two made their way to the kitchen, completely aware, yet still unwilling to pull their hand from the other's grasp.


	11. Chapter 11

_**Elegant, Graceful, and Clumsy**_

Disclaimer: I do not retain omnipotent control of 'Kung Fu Panda'.

* * *

_So yeah, this is my first attempt at a songfic, lemme know how it jives with you. If you are a new reader, please drop me a good word, it's much appreciated. This is told in Po's POV, just to clear any confusion... Based on the preceding story 'Hard to Say I'm Sorry'_

_As always: Read, Review and Enjoy!_

* * *

Quickie Eleven

How Deep Is Your Love

--

Before Master Oogway picked me as the Dragon Warrior, my life was pretty decent. Make sure to note the sarcasm in that last statement. Truth is my life sucked. My dad loved being in the noodle business; he made sure I understood that every single day before tying that ragged white apron around my waist. But the fact was that I was in denial, and trying to prove to myself there was more to this life than noodles.

And soon enough I found that I was right. Anyway, I've been trying to turn myself around ever since. It was ever since that one day almost three weeks ago.. At that time, my life was pretty useless, but now I was recognized as a hero by everyone in the Valley. Master Shifu and the Furious Five, once despising my presence, now openly embraced me in the Jade Palace. But through all of the celebrations of my victory over Tai Lung, I didn't care even the faintest bit about the fame and the glory that my new title gave me…

* * *

_I know your eyes in the morning sun_

_I feel you touch me in the pouring rain  
_

_And the moment that you wander far from me  
_

_I wanna feel you in my arms again_

* * *

I was in love, and although it was hard to understand at first, it's all become clear as day now. But to earn her love, I had to become better. And then by heaven's grace, we were able to share one moment alone that changed the course of our relationship, but I wasn't the one to change it.. She was.

At first glance, at least to those on the outside, it was nothing more than a strong friendship, an undividable bond that no one could break. But I knew better. Even if she didn't show those same feelings for me, there was still that look in her eyes that said something different. Maybe I was just being naïve again, like I had been in the past.

Tigress meant everything to me, and I had to make sure that she knew that. We trained together, ate together, shared our troubles and doubts, and before too long, we became inseparable. I was never a strong believer in the whole cliché that opposites attract; and at the surface that's exactly what we were.. She was a beautiful and graceful warrior, striking without hesitation or mercy. She was, at least in my eye, absolute perfection. Then there was me, a big lazy panda with an equally big appetite.. Given the chance I could easily trip on an air pocket.

Though that was only at appearances. Under that tough and hostile exterior was a heart of pure gold.. In reality Tigress was just as insecure about gaining someone's approval as I was. There we found our first deeply rooted connection; we both sought to make those around us proud of who we were as individuals. We understood that our emotions became the driving force that inevitably brought us together.

But even as our relationship grew, I needed to know if she shared my feelings...

* * *

_And you come to me on a summer breeze_

_Keep me warm in your love and then softly leave  
_

_And it's me you need to show_

_How deep is your love_

* * *

There were times that I thought that I might never have her. I wouldn't be able to share her love, touch her face, or get just one chance to kiss her and show her all of the passion I felt inside.

It deeply hurt me to think in this way; what if she just wanted my friendship, and nothing more? I was extremely conflicted as to how to approach the subject of our relationship. Tigress didn't seem like the type that was looking for someone to hold, someone to love.. But that didn't keep me from hoping that maybe, somewhere deep inside her soul, she did. That there was a shred of hope that I could be the one person to make her happy, both inside and out.

So I did what any respectable person would do to show their compassion towards their love interest; I worked my butt off. There were days I would skip meals to train, sometimes going an entire day without an ounce of food in my system. I'd watch the sun rise and then fall before even considering how much time I had spent in the Training Hall. The others thought that I had either lost my mind or was just becoming an overactive Kung-Fu fanatic, much like Tigress. It was surprising to find out that she also started training longer and harder like I did, to the point of pushing herself into the early morning hours when I would finally give it a rest and try to get some sleep.

Even Master Shifu was openly surprised by my sudden determination to prove myself. They concluded it was for the namesake of the 'Dragon Warrior'... And that was a good thing, because I didn't need them knowing that I was harboring romantic feelings for Tigress.

* * *

_How deep is your love  
_

_I really need to learn  
_

_cause were living in a world of fools  
_

_Breaking us down  
_

_When they all should let us be  
_

_We belong to you and me_

* * *

That was another potential problem. What if she did love me? How could we possibly break the news of an intimate relationship to everyone, especially to Master Shifu? The poor old man was hurting enough from his son's death, let alone the pain he suffered from years of suppressed guilt, which I assume stemmed from the fact that he believed that he himself was a major contributor to Tai Lung's defection to darkness, even though we repeatedly assured him that that simply was not the case..

The bond between myself and Shifu was fragile enough as it is; I didn't need to sever his trust by having his most serious and level-headed pupil distracted by feeble emotions like love. I wanted to tell her just how much I really cared, but not if it came at his expense..

And what of the other four? Sure, we had all become very close friends over the past few weeks, but there was no telling what they would say... No, I know them better than that. They wouldn't resent me, right?

Then I heard a knock at my door; I called out to whoever was in the hall that they could come in.. My heart almost skipped a beat when I saw those familiar crimson eyes, that soft smile and those beautiful ivory whiskers.. It was Tigress, and it looked like she had something on her mind. Maybe I should tell her now, just feel her out and gauge her reaction. I mean, if we came so far in only two weeks...

I motioned her to have a seat next to me. My eyes never left hers as she came closer and fell onto my bedroll, letting out a heavenly sigh... I was more nervous than I had ever been before in my entire life; what if she said no? It would more likely than not ruin our friendship, perhaps even to the point where she would never speak to me again. But what does it matter anyway, she deserved to know what I was feeling, no matter the consequence.

* * *

_I believe in you  
_

_You know the door to my very soul  
_

_You're the light in my deepest darkest hour  
_

_You're my savior when I fall  
_

_And you may not think  
_

_I care for you  
_

_When you know down inside  
_

_That I really do_

* * *

I wanted to be the first one to speak, but she beat me to the punch. "Po, do you mind if I ask you a personal question?" Her voice sounded like a thousand violins playing a grand symphony; I couldn't get over how unbelievably attractive she sounded.. And that was just her voice. What I failed to notice was that we barely had an inch of space between us, maybe her landing was a bit off.

"Sure, as long as it's not about my home life." We shared a laugh. Well, at least she always liked my sense of humor. Then out of nowhere, she slipped her paw into mine, something that I couldn't have possibly predicted. One part of me wanted to pull away, but the rest of me wanted nothing more than to simply stay that way. And I agreed with the rest of me.

"What do you look for in a woman?" She looked at me with a curious stare, and I probably was holding the same expression on my own face.

My brain shuffled to find the right words to answer her. "Uh, well..." It was a good enough start to get the sentences flowing. "She'd have to be skilled in the martial arts, smart, beautiful.. _And_ be able to put up with my poor excuse for a body." I shook my stomach, and to my surprise, it actually didn't jiggle as much as it used to. Good thing I trained so hard the past few weeks. Tigress giggled, and that was the goal, to make her happy.

Not wanting to break off the subject too soon, I decided to return her question. "How about you? Do you have anything special you're looking for in a guy?"

I felt her tail rub up against my back before she spoke again. "I do, but I didn't have to look very hard to find him.." She pressed her mouth to my neck as blood began rushing to my face. "He's funny..."

Then placed a gentle kiss on my cheek. "Witty."

And my nose. "...and he's you."

Our eyes met as she dropped her face a couple of inches, and pushed her lips against mine; it was the most amazing feeling in the entire world, and I wouldn't dream of breaking away.. Not now, not ever.

* * *

_And it's me you need to show..._

_How deep is your love?_


	12. Chapter 12

**Shuffled Pogress**

Based on a fanfic by: Mrs. Mercury Megatron

Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of 'Kung Fu Panda'

--

* * *

_Side Note: The rules for the Ten Song Challenge are simple: Take your iPod/MP3 player, and select shuffle. Once the song starts, begin writing.. But make sure to stop once the song ends, even if you're in mid-sentence. If you enjoyed this, go ahead and read the original '10 Typos' by Mrs. Mercury Megatron and the newly drafted 'Shifu Shuffle' by corset-rebellion-follower!_

* * *

**_Song One: _**

**Come Fly With Me – Frank Sinatra**

* * *

"Come on, we need some time off!" Po shouted excitedly pulling Tigress down the steps of the Jade Mountain.

She pulled the revved panda to a complete stop as soon as they reached the village.

"Where are we going?"

Po watched a flock of birds flying overhead. "I heard Bombay is lovely this time of the year.." He gave her a seductive stare. "Besides, we need some time alone."

* * *

**_Song Two: _**

**Jive Talkin'- Bee Gees**

* * *

He couldn't stand one more minute of it. The panda was going to get her to treat him with respect one way or another. Tigress was level headed and serious sure, but her back talking had to stop.

Po spotted her in the hallway. "Perfect." He simply walked past her, pulling on her tail in the process.

"Keep your hands to yourself, you fat waste of space!" She snapped.

He laughed without passing her a glance. "Aw, what's wrong? Does the kitty not like it when I touch her?"

"Oh that's it!" Tigress unsheathed her claws. "Get back here, fatso!!" The angry tiger chased Po down the remainder of the hallway and cornered him. Viper had her work cut out for her tonight, especially when Tigress was through with him.

* * *

**_Song Three: _**

**How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) – James Taylor**

* * *

"I think I get the point Po.." She sighed. Tigress loved it when Po was the one to get intimate, but this time he was pushing it. He had been on her almost constantly the past few days, and it was getting on her nerves.

The panda trailed kisses up and down her neck and chest. "No you don't. I want you to know how much you mean to me."

Tigress pushed him away. "Trust me, I know, but this is getting ridiculous. I haven't gotten one minute to myself in almost four days now… What's gotten into you lately?"

Po smiled, pulling her close. "The better question is: What hasn't gotten in to _you _lately?" His fingers ran across her waistband.

She couldn't fight it, and she didn't want to either, even though he could be a real pervert sometimes. "All you had to do was ask."

* * *

**_Song Four: _**

**Hard Habit To Break – Chicago**

* * *

**­**It was the hardest thing for Po to accept; their love was over, and he didn't want to believe that it was true. After one stupid mistake on his part, she ended their relationship. He still would leave flowers on her bedside every morning, and dream that there could be some way that they could pick up the pieces and start over.

But it was too late.. Tigress found someone else. She met a traveling Bengal tiger down in a village teahouse one day, and they had been together ever since. He was a kind and compassionate man, just like he had been.

Po thought that over time he would get over his heartbreak, but he knew it just wouldn't be that easy. And instead of the situation getting any easier, it became hardest thing he ever had to face.

It was over, and he wanted nothing more than to just have her in his arms again.

* * *

**_Song Five: _**

**Snowfall – The Manhattan Transfer**

* * *

Tigress watched the frozen landscape around her with wonder.

She had never seen snow before, and the way the delicate flakes softly drifted down and danced through the calm velvety breeze made her feel a sense of peace wash over her.

"Po, it's so beautiful out here…" She spoke softly, almost at a whisper.

He smiled and wrapped a wool cloak around her. "I knew you'd like it out here; my dad and I used to come out this way when it got too hot back in the Valley, kind of like a mini-vacation." After a few moments, the panda noticed the snow begin to fall more heavily, a telltale sign that a blizzard was coming. "We'd better get back before we get caught in the storm."

Tigress nuzzled her face into his chest and pleaded with him. "Oh come on, let's just stay a little while longer."

Po thought it was adorable when she pouted like a little kid. "Alright, alright fine.. But don't get mad at me when we get buried in two feet of white stuff."

* * *

**_Song Six: _**

**We've Saved the Best for Last – Kenny G**

* * *

Tigress had been wondering why everyone seemed so on edge the past couple of weeks.

Master Shifu and Mr. Ping had been spending a lot of time together behind closed doors recently, and every time she would ask what was happening, she would get shooed away.

Po looked more nervous with each passing day, and it worried her deeply. She tried talking to him, but he would keep avoiding her. Were the two talking about their relationship? She finally cornered Po outside the Hall of Heroes, and wouldn't let him go until he spit out what had been going on between his father and Shifu.

But they answered her for him once the mahogany doors to the Hall flew open. Shifu looked at Tigress and Po with a wide smile on his face. "Would you two like to come inside?"

Mr. Ping gazed at his son with pride. "I'm so proud of you Po."

As the two older males shuffled back into the Hall, Po took Tigress' hand and led her up the steps. Suddenly it all made sense…

"Po, are you asking me to marr--"

He pressed his lips to hers. "Yes, I am."

* * *

**_Song Seven: _**

**Break of Dawn – Michael Jackson**

* * *

The sun hadn't even reached the horizon yet, but the morning's first light began to glow in the sky. And while everyone in the Valley slept soundly, there were two who had remained awake for the entire night.

They made sure they were far enough away from the village so nobody would catch them together.

Tigress rolled off of her lover, panting wildly. She never had a more wonderful night with him before.. "That… was incredible."

Po rolled on his side and planted a soft kiss on her cheek. "How long have we been out here?"

Her eyes scanned the heavens, noticing the sun slowly creeping above the distant mountains. "From the looks of it, all night."

"Wow, that long huh?"

"Shut up Po, it's not like we're going in the record books."

* * *

**_Song Eight: _**

**Why Can't It Wait Til Morning? – Phil Collins**

* * *

Po was tired and weary from a hard day of training, and Tigress' nagging wasn't making the situation any easier. He threw a cover on his head to drown out her voice. "Oh come on Tigress, it's late.. I wanna get some sleep."

She wasn't deterred; Tigress had to know just one thing before she let him alone. "Not until you tell me how you did it." She feverishly ripped the blanket from his face.

The panda rolled over on his side to look her dead in the eye. "Did what?" Tigress rolled her eyes.. Was he really that stupid?

"Convincing Master Shifu to let us share a bedroom."

He pulled the covers over his head and groaned. Maybe them sleeping together _was_ a bad idea…

* * *

**_Song Nine: _**

**You're The Inspiration – Chicago**

* * *

She watched him cook day after day.. He made it look so simple, yet every time she tried to prepare a meal, something always went horribly wrong.

Po stepped up behind her, sniffing the air. "You're doing great! Just a few more minutes and those dumplings should be done…" Throwing some crushed herbs into the boiling water, he put a paw on her shoulder.

Tigress passed him a quick smile. "Thanks, I think I'm actually getting better at this."

"So why did you all of a sudden want to learn how to cook?" Po took the ladle in her paw and stirred the water in the pot.

She ran a finger down his cheek. "Not sure, just felt the inspiration…"

* * *

**_Song Ten: _**

**Dance With My Father – Luther Vandross**

* * *

Tigress pulled Po into a tight embrace; his life was empty without that familiar smile, the incessant meddling, the countless nights playing mahjong. He cried until his tears ran dry, and she was the only one in the world who could help him now..

If there was another person who loved Po more than Tigress did, it was his father. They had come to retrieve the last of Po's belongings now that he lived in the Jade Palace.

But this one particular morning they found the lighthearted goose in his bedroom. Mr. Ping had passed away in his sleep the night before… And Po didn't even get the chance to say goodbye.

The panda buried his head into Tigress' chest; she tried her best to soothe and comfort him in any way she could. But what could she do? She felt tears well up in her eyes as they slowly fell to their knees, crying together.

"I'm so sorry Po.." were the only words she could find.


	13. Chapter 13

_**Elegant, Graceful, and Clumsy**_

Disclaimer: No no no.. Me no ownie la 'Kung Fu Panda'.

* * *

_Alright dear readers, this is a special request made by 'Rock Raider'. It chronicles Tigress giving birth to her and Po's child (in Tigress' POV, of course)_

_Please note that this short is **based on events from my previous fanfic 'Between the Past and the Present.'** If you haven't gotten a chance to read it yet, you will not understand what in heaven's name is going on... So do yourselves a justice and read that story before you read this. Several of my OC's are present in this chapter.Therefore, I respectfully ask that you refrain from asking me questions that are answered in my previous fic. You have been warned.._

_So, as always: Read, Review, and Enjoy!_

* * *

Quickie Twelve

Made From Love

--

"Come on sweetheart, you're doing wonderfully.. Just try to relax, and breathe softly…" Those were my mother's words; she clenched my paw tightly.. I knew she was trying to help, really I did. But I wasn't really showing her as much compassion like I wanted to.

"HOW CAN YOU EXPECT ME TO RELAX WHEN I'M GIVING BIRTH?!"

The pain was almost unbearable. What was I thinking sending Po out of the room.. I needed him here; I needed his support, his smile… No, I couldn't let him see me this vulnerable. He'd have a heart attack if he was in here.

Viper placed a cool damp cloth on my forehead, offering one of her signature supportive smiles. "I know it's hard, but we're here to help you, okay? Your mother's right though; it may lessen the pain if you try to let some controlled breaths through your mouth." There she goes talking like a healthcare professional. But I'm not going to question her; she has more medical knowledge than any of us could ever give her credit for.

"I know, I'm sorry for snapping… I'll try." Okay, just some controlled breathing, that's not too difficult. Just breathe in, and out, and… Sharp pain suddenly shot through my body like a bolt of lightning. "OH FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE! SOMEBODY GET THAT LITTLE BRAT OUT HERE SO I CAN--!!"

I felt my mother's paw squeeze more tightly. "Now now, it's not the baby's fault.. Besides, you can let Po have it once we let him in, right?" All three of us shared a good laugh, anything to take my mind off of the pain.

It seems like just yesterday that I discovered I was pregnant. I remember everything so perfectly… It was just like any other day really, except I had been getting very sick almost every morning for over a week. And after some serious prodding from Stacy, she finally got me to a hospital, against my wishes, of course.

But it wasn't the doctor that put me in this situation, now was it? Even then, I guess I can't really blame Po for everything…

--

_Flashback..._

--

_It had been only been one day since Tim brought Po and Tigress to America, essentially giving the couple their first glimpse of the world at large, not only of the places that existed outside of the Valley of Peace, but a civilization hundreds of years ahead of anything they had ever seen in their lives.. And they were also fortunate enough to witness what turned out to be the most memorable moment of their new companion's life; he had finally proposed to his significant other after years of nagging doubts, and she graciously accepted. At the time, neither Po nor Tigress expected that witnessing such a wonderful exchange would also play an important role to help them consummate their own relationship..._

_Po paced across the floor of their new bedroom to a mirror hanging on the wall. "Ha, I still can't believe that Tim did what he did… I didn't know he had it in him." _

"_Yes, but did you see how much happier she was after he asked her?" Tigress pointed out, taking a seat on the bed._

_Po looked into the reflective surface, straitening the fur on his head. "Well sure, but getting married is a pretty big step. It's not easy question for a guy to ask, lemme tell ya."_

_Tigress laughed and folded her arms. "What does that mean? Are you too manly to get married with all of your self-described '__Kung-Fu awesomeness'__?" _

_Po became a bit apprehensive as he fell onto the bed. "I wouldn't say that. I—I don't… What are you getting at?" It took a moment, but then it clicked in his mind. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?" He looked at her with a seductive gaze, taking her paw in his own._

_Tigress blushed. "I… I'm not sure if I'm saying that…" She stuttered looking down at the floor._

"_It sure sounds like it." Po lifted her head with his paw, and kissed her lightly on the mouth; but the situation quickly escalated once they jumped into a passion-induced make out session._

_After a few minutes, Tigress broke away from him, almost out of breath. "Where did that come from?" _

_He let out a soft growl and nipped at the nape of her neck. "It came from the fact that I want you… So, what are we going to do here?"_

_Tigress purred expectantly, pulling her male captor on top of her. "We're going to make your dad's wish come true."_

--

Just one of my many fond memories.. Oh well, I guess it _was_ partially my fault after all. People can do such foolish things when they're in love…

I snapped my eyes open, and to my surprise, the pain was gone. Just a second ago I was being tortured, what could have happened in just a few seconds?

Then it hit me like a ton of bricks once I heard that one unmistakable sound; the sound of an infant's soft whimpering.. I couldn't help but let a huge smile explode across my face once I laid my eyes on her for the very first time.. a little white tiger sat peacefully curled up into a little ball, gently tugging on the linens she was wrapped up in. My heart almost melted; she was the most gorgeous thing I had ever seen in my life, and that's not a mother's predisposition…

She looked almost like me, except that her fur was monochromatically colored, with just a splash of ginger orange running through the black stripes across her back. The ferocity of a tiger; no wonder birthing her was such a challenge.

Viper coiled up by the side of the bedroll to get a better view of the bundle now cradled safely in my mother's arms. "Oh Tigress, she's so beautiful…" She paused for a moment, her eyes trained on the silhouette of a certain panda standing near the doorway. "Should I let Po in?"

I came this close to forgetting about the others waiting in the hallway. "Of course Viper, but I only want to see him right now…"

My mother interrupted, holding out her paws. "Tigress, would you care to--"

"Yes, yes I would." I took her into my arms, smiling almost as ridiculously as Po did when we found Crane and Viper sharing an intimate moment together. How could I help it? She was my daughter, and even I couldn't have believed that this could happen. My eyes fell to her again, and as I placed a gentle kiss on her nose, her jade green eyes widened and stared up at me. She giggled, putting her tiny paw up to my face. From the very beginning I was always told that I was destined for greater things, but being a mother wasn't one of them..

Or maybe it was…

Before I even came out of my thoughts, I felt Po practically collapse in a heap next to me. He looked more emotionally shaken than I did.. "Is everything alright? How are you feeling…" I pressed my lips to his as a tremendous sense of happiness welled up inside of me; now that he was here, I could finally share my emotions with the man I cared most about.

…And present him with the very personification of our love.

"I'm perfectly fine Po, but there's someone I'd like you to meet…"


	14. Chapter 14

_**Elegant, Graceful, and Clumsy**_

Disclaimer: I do not own 'Kung Fu Panda,' but I'm certainly thinking it loudly!

* * *

_The following sketch is based on the preceding short 'Shuffled Pogress', based on the original story '10 Typos for Awerewolf' by PointyEdgesofaSign. Thanks again for the inspiration, Merk! And also thanks to my loyal readers for your continued support during my lengthy hiatus.. Curse you, Architecture!! So, this is dedicated to all of my loyal readers who were patient enough not to kill me.  
_

_Side Note: The rules for the Ten Song Challenge are simple: Take your iPod/MP3 player, and select shuffle. Once the song starts, begin writing.. But make sure to stop once the song ends, even if you're in mid-sentence. _

_As always: **Read, Review and Enjoy!**_

* * *

**Quickie Thirteen**

--

**Jive Talkin'**

_Written and performed by the Bee Gees_

--

He couldn't stand one more minute of it.

The giant panda was going to get her to treat him with respect one way or another. Tigress was level headed and serious sure, but her back talking had to stop. It had been like this for almost three months now, and he wouldn't let it affect him any more than it already had. Po wasn't entirely sure why she acted this way; when they were alone it seemed as if she was an entirely different person.

Attentive, compassionate, kind…

But never in the presence of others. As long as they were in the company of someone else, she would pull almost every humiliating technique from the book; everything from verbal attacks to tripping him down the stairs. He would exact his revenge for her scrutiny, but how?

Every time he would try to give Tigress a taste of her own medicine, Po's plans would always backfire, making his situation worse. It looked to be an impossible feat to accomplish. How could he possibly pull together an elaborate scheme without her knowing about it? As far as he was concerned, coming up with a good plan was going to be a considerable feat. Po wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer, and he understood that. Maybe he should have just learned to take his lumps and accept it. But he wasn't deterred; he would get Tigress back.. Somehow.

And his chance came sooner than he had expected. Taking a quick break away from preparing dinner, Po spotted Tigress alone in the hallway. He also happened to know that everyone save for Master Shifu were already in the kitchen, eagerly awaiting a hot meal following a particularly extreme day of training.

"Perfect."

As nonchalantly as he could, Po gruffly brushed past her, pulling on her tail in the process.

"Keep your hands to yourself, you fat waste of space!" She snapped. Almost as quickly as she had finished speaking, the other four Masters practically amassed by the door, peeking out into the corridor to find out what was the source of the commotion.

Crane was the first to speak up. "Is everything alright out here?" The red crowned crane had always been the paternal figure for the Five in Master Shifu's absence; serving as a 'Mother Hen,' in a matter of speaking, to keep the peace between them.

Ignoring Crane's words, he stopped and laughed without giving a passing glance.

"Aw, what's wrong? Does the kitty not like it when I touch her tail?"

"Oh, that is it!" Tigress unsheathed her claws. "Get back here, fatso!" The irritated tiger chased Po down the remainder of the short hallway and cornered him.

"You're going to regret what you've done.." She closed the gap between them, failing to notice that Master Shifu had been watching the spectacle for almost the entire time.

The red panda was clearly not amused, although had this happened just three months prior, she would have probably received the Congressional Medal of Honor. "Tigress! This has gone on long enough…"

Quickly re-sheathing her claws, Tigress made a full turn and respectfully bowed. "Y-Yes, I'm truly sorry Master."

Shifu raised up one hand to silence the faint laughter coming from behind him. "Now, do either of you care to explain what happened here?"

Haphazardly getting back onto his feet, Po rubbed the back of his neck. "Um, well… It's kind of hard to explain. But if you guys head back into the kitchen I'll be happy to tell you over dinner; It should be done in a few minutes."

Motioning towards the door, Master Shifu and the others made their way back into the kitchen, leaving Tigress alone with Po in the hallway once again.

Tigress felt a paw on her shoulder, and letting out a sigh, she turned to face him. "I really am sorry, Po. I don't know why I act that way in front of the others.. Can you forgive me?" She spoke in a soft demeanor, expecting to get nothing less than a cold rejoinder, but instead she found him smiling softly.

He pulled her into an embrace, and gently rubbed her back. "Of course I can, but you're going to have to prove it."

"And how can I do that?"

"Trust me, you'll know."

Walking back into the kitchen, Tigress took a seat while Po pulled bowls from the cabinet next to the stove. Meanwhile, Master Shifu's eyes darted between his two students in confusion. Knowing their headstrong personalities, he wasn't truly convinced that they could have gotten over their argument already.

"So, it seems that you two have forgiven each other then, hmm?"

Glancing across the table, Tigress returned a nod. "Yes, we have. We put aside our differences and—" She was quickly cut off by broth and noodles cascading down her face and neck. Her eyes widened as she looked around the table; amazingly enough, everyone kept silent, unsure of how she would react. Even Master Shifu was struck with shock.

Po slid soup bowls around the table to their respective owners, and with a soft sigh, he took a seat next to the stunned female tiger. He knew full well that she would probably tear him to shreds, but it didn't matter; Po had finally gotten even with Tigress for all of the embarrassment he suffered, and that was good enough.

After another awkward moment of silence, Tigress finally phased back into reality.

"Po?"

"Yes, Tigress?"

"I would start running if I were you."

He laughed lightly. "Fine, but no claws, okay?"

"Alright by me."

Being the only one with medical knowledge up in the Jade Palace, Viper had her work cut out for her tonight, especially when Tigress was through with him.


	15. Chapter 15

_**Elegant, Graceful, and Clumsy**_

Disclaimer: I don't own 'Kung Fu Panda,' but Jeffery Katzenberg and I have laid out plans for the sequel.

* * *

_The following sketch is based on the preceding short 'Shuffled Pogress', based on the original story '10 Typos for Awerewolf' by PointyEdgesofaSign. Thanks again for the inspiration, Merk! And also thanks to my loyal readers for your continued support during my lengthy hiatus.. Thanks for the memories, architecture!!_

_Side Note: The rules for the Ten Song Challenge are simple: Take your iPod/MP3 player, and select shuffle. Once the song starts, begin writing.. But make sure to stop once the song ends, even if you're in mid-sentence. _

_As always: __**Read, Review and Enjoy!**_

* * *

**Quickie Fourteen**

--

**Why Can't It Wait 'Til Morning? **

_Written and performed by artist Phil Collins_

--

As a fiery red sun faded behind the distant mountains, there was only one thing on a certain panda's mind: Sleep. Master Shifu had been particularly interested in keeping Po in the Training Hall as long as he possibly could in the months following his battle with Tai Lung. And while the Dragon Warrior's skills had vastly improved in every way imaginable, his behavior and physical limits were still as fixed as a mountain.

And that also included his resolute laziness.

There were times when Po came close to blowing a mental gasket over Shifu's tenacity at keeping him at the brink of oblivion, but continued to maintain his easy-going disposition.. Why? Because he had an important question for the Grand Master of the Jade Palace, and Po had to make sure that he caught Master Shifu at the right moment to ensure his success.

The objective? It would make itself known soon enough…

Master Shifu and Po walked side-by-side through the entrance to the Training Hall. The others had completed their training almost two hours earlier, and had gone down to the village for dinner; without Po to cook for them, the Furious Five had quickly fallen victim to the world of take out cuisine. Making their way towards the student dormitories, Shifu was the first to break the silence between them.

"You've done exceptionally well today, Panda."

Po looked down at his diminutive protégé. _'Alright big guy, this is it.. Just ask him.' _The giant panda quietly drew a large breath. "Thanks Master, but there's one more thing I—" He was quickly cut off by Shifu's usual administrative tenor.

"Did you complete your meditation exercises with Master Tigress as I instructed?"

"Yeah I did, but Master Shifu.."

"Excellent. Now tomorrow we will start with strength training, followed by—"

He finally mustered enough courage to raise his voice. "Master!"

Flinching slightly from Po's insurrection, the red panda's facial expression fell into a despondent frown. "Yes, Po?"

"Can I please speak with you about something?"

--

Evening had quickly washed out into nighttime by the time the Five had returned to the confines of the Jade Palace from the village below. Finding their ways to their respective bedrooms, each of the Masters let out a final salutation before calling it a day. Slowly opening her door, Tigress found a surprise waiting within the small space.. Po was lying on her bed, waiting patiently for her as he often did. The poor fellow looked exhausted, and rightfully so, especially after his lengthy deliberation with Shifu had ended up costing him much more than he bartered for.

The Tiger Master smiled wryly as she walked over to the tired soul, taking a seat on the bed next to him. "Did you have another nightmare about stairs?"

He laughed lightly. "No, but I don't think I'll be having any more nightmares after tonight."

Slipping off her sandals, she pulled a wool blanket out from under the bed. "What do you mean?"

Tigress felt Po's arms wrap around her waist, tenderly pulling her down next to him. Placing a gentle kiss on her cheek, he whispered "What do you think I mean?"

Her crimson eyes widened with this sudden realization; the day they had both waited for had finally come. Tigress was elated reaching this milestone in their relationship, but she managed to stay calm and collected, although the huge grin crossing her face practically gave her emotions away.

Rolling over and nuzzling her way into his large stomach, she let a contented sigh escape her lips. "You have to tell me how you managed to do this…"

The female tiger already knew Po was tired and weary from a hard day of training, and that this impulsive nagging wasn't going to make the situation any better. But it _was_ her job, after all… As she expected, he threw the wool sheet over his head to drown out her voice. "Oh, come on Tigress.. Can't it wait until tomorrow? I wanna get some sleep."

She wasn't deterred; Tigress just had to know before she let him alone. "Not until you tell me how you did it." She feverishly ripped the blanket from his face.

The panda lopped over on his side, his nose just barely coming into contact with her face. "Did what?" Tigress rolled her eyes.. Was he really that stupid when he was tired?

"Convincing Master Shifu to let us share a bedroom."

He pulled the covers over his head once again and groaned. Maybe their sleeping together _was_ a bad idea…


	16. Chapter 16

_**Elegant, Graceful, and Clumsy**_

**Disclaimer:** I don't own 'Kung Fu Panda,' but I will own 'Kung Fu Panda' on DVD or Blu-Ray Disc come this November 5th.

* * *

_The following sketch is dedicated to individuals of the female persuasion who need some time to chat amongst themselves. That's right. It's for all you young ladies out there! But honestly, why do you need time for 'girl talk' anyways? My girlfriend drives me nuts when she does this (I know it's about me!), so I guess more than anything else, this is for her… If she only knew I did this on the side, then she'd have a whole lot more to talk about._

_Side Note: Thanks all of you, my loyal readers, for your continuing and never faltering support of this fic, it means a ton to me every time I hear from you guys! Of course, send me your critiques, flames, suggestions.. I appreciate each and every one of them._

_So as always: __**Read, Review and Enjoy!**_

* * *

**Quickie Fifteen **

_It's Just Girl Talk_

--

Tigress sighed, refocusing on her reflection in her mirror; she couldn't figure it out.. How Viper could spend so much time looking over her 'feminine' appearance? Still, the female tiger hadn't given her appearance a second thought in a long _long _time. Day in and day out, she would wear the same silk vest and charcoal pants; and that was good enough for her. Nobody ever gave Tigress, or rather dared to give her, a critique on how she looked.

But something ignited within the young female on this one particular morning, a feeling which dictated Tigress to re-evaluate her outward show. Fumbling through her personal effects, she happened to come across a black silken skirt that hadn't seen the light of day in almost four years. Trying it on, Tigress noticed that the draped fabric was somewhat tighter and shorter than she remembered, although she did purchase it when she was only sixteen years old. Twirling around to examine how she looked in it, another feeling wrapped itself around the feline master: the feeling of self-empowerment; all from a simple and plain skirt. A smile grew on the female's face.. She looked good, _damn _good, and that's exactly how she felt. It seemed that maybe Viper's 'encouraging talks' were finally getting through to the headstrong tiger…

Or maybe it was something else.

Viper had departed from her bedroom with the intention of entering the Training Hall, but once she noticed that Tigress was still in her room, the tree snake couldn't help but intrude, as friends often do. After all, it was very unlike Tigress to be this late to morning training, seeing that it was her most enjoyed activity.

"Tigress?"

No answer.

"Tigress…?" She wanted to sound as un-intrusive as possible, even though she knew Tigress would think otherwise. "Are you in there?"

Finally, the female tiger gave her a response. "Yes, Viper.. I'm here. Come on in."

Viper wasted no time in getting to the point. "It's unlike you to be late to morning training… Is everything alright in here?"

Tigress continued eyeing her appearance in the reflective surface. "Of course, I just lost track of the time."

"You never lose track of time." Viper returned point-blankly. "So, what are you up to?"

She sighed; as good of a friend that Viper was to Tigress, she could get a bit edgy at times. But it was all relative to the female tiger. Viper was her childhood friend, and petty things like that weren't going to get the feline flustered, not today..

"Trying on something a little bit different… What do you think?" She turned to face Viper, using her hand motions to guide the tree snake's eyes down towards the tiger's waist. Viper's azure eyes scanned down to Tigress' mid-section, and widened with wonder.

"Um.. It's very pretty Tigress, but…" She trailed off.

"But what?" The female tiger asked out of curiosity.

"—but I've never seen you wearing a skirt before.. Why with this sudden change of heart?"

Okay, Tigress was NOT expecting this question to pop up, even though deep down she knew something like this would come out from someone if she was seen wearing this new item of clothing, especially from Master Shifu. Well, better for Viper to ask..

"I've been preoccupied over my appearance a lot lately, and I decided to maybe start acting more feminine--"

That was more than Viper could handle. The serpent blew a mental gasket and started laughing uncontrollably at the anxious feline's response, much to Tigress' embarrassment. Why was this such a joke to her, anyway? Didn't she have as much right to accentuate her femininity like any other woman…? But this _was _Tigress they're talking about.

_Damn._

"Viper, what do you find so funny!?" Tigress was visibly flustered at this point, balling her fists in anger. "The one time I want to look more like a woman, and you can't contain yourself from laughing at my expense?"

Viper fought off her giggles. "Oh, Tigress.. I think it's a wonderful thing that you're exploring your inner femininity, but that's not why I was laughing… I'm just wondering _why _you want to wear a skirt, when you've never done anything like this in the past, that's all."

Tigress' expression lightened somewhat as she unclenched her fists. "I'm sorry Viper.. It's just that, well…" She turned around to her mirror, blinking several times at her reflection. "I'm trying to impress Po."

The female snake coiled and hoisted herself up to face the deeply troubled tigress. "What are you talking about?"

"Nothing, it's just that.." She looked at the silken fabric draped across her waist once more. "I've never once done anything to better myself for his sake, even though he has. He's been doing everything to make himself look better to me; new clothing, spending extra time in the Training Hall to lose weight… I haven't done anything like that for him."

"It's a nice gesture, Tigress, but.. Po loves you for who you are; he always has. You don't need to change for him to keep on loving you." Viper reassured her friend.

Tigress smiled at her female confidant. "Thanks Viper, but I want him to know that I _do_ appreciate everything he's done."

"Everything who's done?" A male's voice penetrated the room, making the two females jump in surprise. Quickly spinning around, they found themselves face-to-face with the topic of their conversation: Po.

"Oh, it's you Po.." Viper beamed, tossing Tigress a teasing glance before slithering up to the giant panda. "It's just girl talk; nothing you need to concern yourself with." She passed through the doorframe without a second glance. "See you in the Training Hall?"

"Yeah, we'll be there in a second.." Po called back, turning back around to face Tigress. "Master Shifu wants you to give me meditation exercises today, if that's alright with you, of course."

"Fine Po, but do you notice anything different?" Her crimson eyes darted downwards and then back up to his face. Apparently, the panda hadn't noticed the skirt as of yet.

He cocked his head slightly in confusion. "Huh? What do you mean?" She sighed softly, and cupped her paw around his chin, tilting his head down towards her lower torso. Looking at her new attire, a smile gradually grew on his face. "…A new skirt?"

"Do you like it?"

"Well yeah, but it's gotta be difficult to train in that though, I would imagine..."

Tigress' hopeful grin dropped from her face. "Oh.. Yes, I suppose it would hinder my abilities somewhat." She paused, outwardly hurt from his answer. "Well, let's get moving, or Shifu will kill us both."

Po stepped in front of her, stopping Tigress dead in her tracks. "Po, what are you--" She was prematurely hushed once their lips met, and all of Tigress' worries seemed to melt away.

Po broke away after a moment, and ran his finger down the tiger's cheek. "It's beautiful, but you don't need it to catch my interest."

"You listened in to our conversation, didn't you?"

He smiled at her. "A little."

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	17. Chapter 17

_**Elegant, Graceful, and Clumsy**_

**Disclaimer:** I don't own 'Kung Fu Panda,' but I own the soundtrack.. Buy it NOW!

© 2008 Interscope Records and DreamWorks SKG

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_One of the greatest attributes of Kung Fu Panda was its use of traditional art styles, in full use both during the film's run and during the credit scroll. The credits gave us a glimpse into the future after Tai Lung's defeat, and the next phase in Po's life as he fulfills his destiny as the Dragon Warrior. One scene depicts Po as he adds a new figurine of himself to his prior collection of the Furious Five.. _

_It's a rather touching scene, and therefore has become the base of this Quickie-short. And wow, you guys… 101 reviews already!? Good Heavens, thank you guys so very much for the awesome (and unprecedented) feedback! To celebrate, I'd like to personally congratulate my 100__th__ reviewer, __**JediGirl**__. As an anonymous reviewer, I was never able to say this directly, so I'll do it now:_

_You, as one of my most faithful anonymous reviewers, can direct me in what I should write next. If there's anything you want me to write about (besides Tigress cheating on Po), take your best shot! And of course, thanks all 'round to my other reviewers! You guys are the best!_

_So as always: __**Read, Review and Enjoy!**_

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**Quickie Sixteen**

_Action Figures_

--

Tigress smiled warmly at villagers as they passed on by, carrying idle conversations amongst themselves…

It was another perfect day; the sun was high up in an almost cloudless sky, casting its brilliance and warmth upon the Valley of Peace. With no threats to contend with, times were rapidly changing, especially now with Po around. The feline sighed.. The prophecy was true; she wondered how someone could have such vitality. Even in the mundane routine of everyday life, Po was like a perpetual aura of peace and happiness that spread to everyone he met..

Including her.

She looked ahead at him, standing by a merchant's cart. He was carrying out a conversation with a rather stout gentleman; apparently he was the owner of the stand. Po seemed to be excited about something, but she wasn't sure as to what it was that he was so wound up for.

Tigress took a few steps forward, and put a paw on Po's shoulder. "You seem rather happy, what's the occasion?"

He smiled softly at her. Although she wouldn't admit it to anyone else, Po's smile always made her melt like ice exposed to the midday sun. "Did you see what this guy's been selling to the townspeople the past few days?"

She glanced down to the merchant's counter; her eyes widening with disbelief. "You're kidding me.." Lying on the wooden cart were about six or seven wooden mannequins of the Dragon Warrior himself, just like the one's she had seen being sold during tournaments up at the Jade Palace.

"Actually, I'm not." The tradesman chuckled. "This guy's been a real hit the past couple of weeks." He patted Po on his free shoulder, making Tigress laugh.

"Well Po, I'm impressed. It seems that these people can't get enough of you."

"Yeah, I guess so." Po's eyes shifted over to the aging swine. "How much are they, if you don't mind my asking?"

"Twenty yuan."

Po looked disappointed. "Wow, that much, huh? Well, I don't have that kind of money. Thanks anyway…" The giant panda turned away, that is, until a certain female tiger stopped him.

"Sold." She handed the man 5 gold coins, and picked out one of the figurines from the cart.

He gave her a quick bow. "Thank you for your patronage, Master Tigress. Just so you know, I should be finished with your stock in about a week."

"I'll be waiting for them." She smiled, and turned to make her way to Mr. Ping's shop. Po's jade green eyes flickered between the two.. What just happened? Did Tigress just buy a figurine of _him_?

"She's a real special lady, son.." The swine responded to Po's perplexed look, his eyes trained on the feline Master. "…and I think she's waiting for you."

The panda pivoted on his heel, and sure enough, Tigress was waiting patiently for him just several yards away, an easy-going expression plastered to her face; she was still holding the Dragon Warrior's likeness delicately between her two paws. "Aren't you coming, Po?"

"Uh--"

"We're having lunch with your father, remember?"

"Oh, right!" He laughed, and felt his feet move after her. He could hear the swine chuckling behind him as the man shouted out a quick 'have a nice day' to them both. The panda sauntered up to her side, never taking his eyes off of her. There was no further conversation between the two as they made their way deeper into the village.

--

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--

"It's good to see you again!" Mr. Ping shouted excitedly, pushing his way through throngs of customers to get to his son. The aged goose was always ecstatic when his boy came to visit; Master Shifu always kept him on the brink of oblivion with his training up at the Palace.. And thus never got much time to spend with his father.

"Great to see you too, Dad." He pulled his diminutive father into a tight embrace. Tigress stood to Po's right, grinning inwardly at their father-son moment.

Mr. Ping looked over to the female tiger standing next to the giant panda. "And of course it's always an honor to have you here, Tigress."

She laughed. "Thank you, Mr. Ping."

"Well, back to the kitchen.. You two want the usual, yes?"

They both nodded, and proceeded inside, up to Po's bedroom. While during some parts of the day Ping's shop was quieter than a graveyard, lunchtime was an enormous exception. Every table and bench was filled, confining the two Kung-Fu Masters to the upper level of Ping's home. Taking a quick look around the panda's private space, she couldn't help but notice all of the Kung-Fu memorabilia that adorned his sleeping quarters.

"I think I underestimated what a nut you are when it comes to collecting Kung-Fu related items."

Po scoffed jokingly as he made his way to the window. "Yeah, so what?"

"Well.." She walked over to Po, handing him the figurine. "..It looks like you've got another piece to add to your collection."

"W-Why are you giving this to me? You paid for it.. I-I can't just—"

She cut him off. "Yes, you can, and you will._"_

He smiled, and delicately placed the figure of himself ever so carefully next to Crane's statuette. Po heard an audible grunt come from behind him.

"Po, don't you know how to properly place figurines?" She reprimanded, gently pushing him out of her way. "You can arrange them in many different ways.. by height..." Tigress picked up the small wooden statue of Po, and began moving the others off to the left side of the window frame, one by one.

"..Or by gender, color, importance…" She stopped, and finally put the figure down.. right next to hers. "Or just… at random." Tigress turned to face him with a large smile on her face.

Po looked at her with wide eyes, seemingly understanding her cryptic message. He was proved correct when she leaned forward, kissing him softly on the cheek.

So there they stood, gazing affectionately at each other...

That is, until they were broken up by someone loudly clearing their throat. Looking out the window, they saw that same meddling hog of a neighbor Mrs. Hu on her balcony, staring back at them with a soft grin crossing her features.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry.. Don't let me interrupt you two at all." She winked, and closed her window.


	18. Chapter 18

_**Elegant, Graceful, and Clumsy

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**Disclaimer:**

Me: "Po, please tell them.."

Po: "People! He definitely does NOT own 'Kung Fu Panda'!"

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_Oh wow, it's been almost three weeks since I touched this story… I think it's about time I punched myself in the face. But with college in full swing it's been more than a hassle to get any time to myself these days. However, I do have time now, so let's do this thing! _

_The following sketch is based upon two characters seen early on in the film; more specifically, the two swine that pass Po briefly on their way up to the tournament to decide the Dragon Warrior.. In real life, Jack Black's closest friend and member of 'Tenacious D' voiced one of them. So yeah, whatevers. _

_The title seems a bit odd, doesn't it? I'm told that people who live in Louisiana have the 'best' Sundays, in every sense of the word.. If I have any readers and reviewers from the Bayou State that can confirm this, please let me know!_

_So as always: __**Read, Review and Enjoy!

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**_

**Quickie Seventeen**

_Louisiana Sunday Afternoon_

--

It was another lazy Sunday afternoon.

The streets, usually bustling with activity were calm and serene. Mr. Ping had closed up his shop promptly at two o'clock, just as he did every Sunday. Knowing there would be no customers to contend with, the aged goose decided to spend some time with an old friend just up the road, leaving Po in charge of the house in his stead.

Po usually spent his weekends down in the village with his father, especially after Master Shifu, out of the kindness of his old heart, had finally given his students the weekend days to use as they wished instead of training. This was a most welcome change for the Dragon Warrior, since he was usually pent up in the Training Hall seven days a week from dawn 'til dusk--

"Mahjong."

"Dude, you must be cheating.. There is no way you win thirteen games in a row!"

Po laughed, gently collecting the delicate stone tiles from the game board. He may not be the brightest light bulb in the socket, but he definitely knew his way around a game board.

His two closest friends, Cheng and Hong, had come over to Ping's restaurant looking for lunch, but instead found themselves knee-deep in competition with their old confidant. They were two swine who had grown up with the giant panda, and spent much of their youth hanging out together.

Before Po became the Dragon Warrior, those two were the closest thing he could call 'friends'. But even now, with all of the fame and glory, Po loved nothing more than spending quality time with a couple of his old buddies, away from the confines of the Jade Palace.

The giant panda smirked at the two and re-organized the mahjong tiles. "One more round?"

Cheng rolled his eyes, leaning back in his chair. "Do we even have a choice?"

"Probably not." Hong interjected. "Besides, this guy's never gonna let it go until one of us wins, so get used to it."

Cheng sighed, and furrowed his eyebrows in frustration. He was never good at board games; Mahjong, Chinese checkers, the lot.. But still, Po could at least give him at least a sympathetic win every now and again.

"Alright, fine."

"Awesome. I know I can be a little overbearing when it comes to this stuff.."

Hong laughed. "Oh, do you now! Well, at least you're modest… So how are things up at the Palace?"

Po refocused his attention on the game board, placing the first tile on the top left quadrant of the playing field. "You know, get up at the crack of dawn, train until my butt falls off, lunch, butt falls off again until dinner-- Pretty standard stuff."

Cheng threw down a tile with a slight smile. "Sounds riveting. I bet you got no time to yourself up there."

Po didn't respond to his comment.. After a moment, Hong decided to throw himself back into the conversation right where it was awkwardly dropped.

"So.. How about the Furious Five? I'm sure they're all fine and well."

Po's face lightened up. "Oh sure, those guys could fight an army without breaking a sweat." If there was anything he liked to talk about more than food, it was always the Five, especially--

"..and Master Tigress?"

Po stopped, lowering his head somewhat to hide the exceptionally visible flush on his face. He spoke in a whisper, "Yeah, she's great."

The two hogs shared a glace; they knew from childhood about Po's unhealthy obsession with the Master of the Tiger Style.. The numerous posters in his bedroom affirmed that observation. But as of late, unless they themselves brought it up, he would never say one word about her. Po would either stray away from the topic all together, or explain that he had stomach cramps and needed to use the facilities, the latter of which garnered no return for the giant panda.

That made them a little more than suspicious.. or made Cheng feel more devious than usual.

"Hey, is she still single?" He calmly asked; Po's head immediately jumped to fixate his gaze on the swine sitting across from him. The panda almost fell out of his chair with the sudden jolt of energy coursing through his body.

"What's that supposed to mean!?"

Cheng threw his hooves up in defense.

"Whoa there, big guy.. I was just asking a harmless question. No need to get all aggressive on me like that."

Hong rolled his eyes. "Please, she's _way _out of either of your leagues.. If anything, I'd say Master Shifu probably has a better chance then you two."

"True, but I don't usually date men more than three times my own age."

The three males spun around in surprise, only to see the subject of their discussion standing in the entryway to the courtyard. Po was the first to react by jumping out of his seat, staring timidly at the female tiger.

"T-Tigress!? H-How long have you been standing there?"

She smiled and walked over to the nervous panda. "Long enough to know that you were talking about me." Tigress turned to face Cheng and Hong, who still maintained a dumbstruck expression that had by now exploded across both of their faces. Other than seeing her from the stands during tournaments up at the Palace, they had never seen her in the village, or from this close proximity.

"Aren't you going to introduce me to your friends, Po?"

"Well, sure. That's--"

"I'm Cheng, and this is Hong. It's truly a pleasure, Master Tigress." The hog took Tigress' paw and kissed it, earning a giggle from the feline Master. Hong shook his head in disgust while Po's eyes practically bulged out of their sockets.

She took back her paw. "And here I thought that gallantry was long dead.."

"Not for girls as beautiful as you are..."

Po's face heated with jealousy as he stood in virtual silence, clenching and unclenching his fists to ease his temper. This didn't escape Tigress' notice, but she loved it when he got upset. She had never told him that his pent-up anger was a major turn-on for her.. Oh well, he would probably figure that out eventually, or in a few minutes--

"That's very kind of you Cheng, but I'm already taken with someone else."

Cheng laughed, tossing a teasing glance at Po. "I had a feeling…" He sighed, looking over at Hong. "Well, I think it's about time we got going, right Hong?"

"Oh sure. See you around, Po. Nice to finally meet you Tigress.."

With a quick wave, they passed through the courtyard and walked through the entrance gate, disappearing into the empty streets. Tigress turned around to face Po; he had his arms folded across his chest, and a small frown still remained on his face. Smiling softly, she slowly sauntered her way up to the panda. He tried to keep his 'pissed off' face on, but to no avail; Po was no match for her charismatic personality.

"So, where's your father today?"

"Just up the road.. He's visiting an old acquaintance."

Tigress ran a clawed finger across his cheek, grinning seductively. "Is that so?" She pressed her mouth to his neck, purring gently at the sensation of his soft fur brushing against her lips. Po's eyes widened in pure astonishment; even if the village was a virtual ghost town on Sunday afternoons, public displays of affection were still a big no-no in his book.

"No, not here; you can't possibly be serious."

"We have the day off from training, don't we? Not to mention your father _is_ gone for the afternoon.. and your friends--"

"I know, are gone." Po nodded, ultimately failing to hide a grin that he was trying so desperately to contain.

The feline Master pulled away from him, and began to make her way into Ping's shop. Turning around in the doorframe, she winked. "I'll be waiting upstairs." And with that, she vanished into the shadows of his father's kitchen.

Po stood silently, his mind racing with contradicting thoughts. _What if Dad comes home earlier than he said? He'll see Tigress here, and I haven't told him about us yet-- _Po felt his feet moving after her.

_Dammit. I hope the gods work on Sundays...  
_


	19. Chapter 19

_**Elegant, Graceful, and Clumsy**_

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**Disclaimer: **Kung Fu Panda is © DreamWorks Animation SKG

_I decided to dedicate this short to my favorite tortoise of all time.. You guessed it, Grand Master Oogway; you're an inspiration to us all! And be sure to grab your own copy of Kung Fu Panda on DVD or Blu-Ray disc today!_

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_

_So as always: __**Read, Review and Enjoy!**_

_**

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**Quickie Eighteen**

_Precious Peace_

--

Tigress looked on the Valley of Peace with a wide grin.

Today was unlike most others; there was cause for celebration, and the entire Valley was abuzz with the energetic activity of its inhabitants. It was the one year mark following Grand Master Oogway's ascension. And although the wise old sage was no longer among them, the villagers had remained faithful to the ancient Master in appreciation of his life and all he had given to them--

And continued on the traditions that he had laid forth for their ancestors almost nine centuries ago.

The village, so brightly and ornately decorated for the occasion, reflected the glimmering pride of its people. Happiness and joy filled the air through the laughter and the dancing that seemed to fill every street of the usually quiet little town.. Yes, it was a day that those who lived in the Valley could count their blessings and be grateful for everything that they had.

Activities of the day passed by rather quickly, and before very long, the crimson red hues of the evening came to grace the clear skies above.

Those who had been celebrating were invited up to the Jade Palace to commemorate the tortoise's life, through the words of those who had been charged to protect the Valley of Peace in his stead.. Swiftly the villagers all made their way up the towering steps to the palace's Training Arena to await the commencement of the evening's activities.

On the landing above the arena, Master Shifu stood with his small arms folded behind his back, eyes scanning around the space to observe the throngs of people weaving through the stands to their seats. The soft roar of the people was instantly hushed with the raising up of Shifu's hand. "Citizens of the Valley of Peace, today we remember the passing of our beloved Master and guardian of the Valley.." the red panda paused, taking a moment to scan across the space. "Master Oogway is gone from this world, but he will never be forgotten. We take this day not to grieve over his death, but take it as a celebration of his life and his accomplishments."

Shifu turned around, giving his six students a smile. And one by one, each member of the Furious Five stood up, delivering a few words in reminiscence of their beloved Master, sharing the memories of their time spent with the old turtle under his teachings. Tigress was the last one of the Five to share her thoughts, and with a final respectable bow to Master Shifu and to the people, she took her seat.

Relaxing back into her cushioned seat, the female tiger couldn't help but notice Po's anxious fidgeting in his spot next to her. She turned to him with a soft smile crossing her features. "Nervous?"

He nodded. "Somewhat. You know how I get when I have to speak in front of this many people.."

Tigress took his paw and gently patted it. "Don't worry about it, Po. You'll do just fine."

The giant panda nodded, pushing himself up from his seat the moment Shifu called him up to the podium to speak. What Tigress failed to notice, however, was the curious item he was holding in his left paw..

A peach.

A tremendous and seemingly infinite ovation rang through the feline's ears as she watched the panda take center stage; he stood perfectly still in his place on the platform, waiting patiently for the roar of the crowds to die down.

Po opened his mouth to speak, "Thank you so much.. I can't say that I knew Master Oogway all that well from my time here, but I do know that we all should be thankful for everything he has given us." He glanced over his shoulder, catching Tigress behind him, smiling proudly. "He taught us many things, like myself... Master Oogway always saw the best in people, even though they sometimes couldn't see it themselves." The panda paused, and held up the fuzzy fruit in his hand. "Just like this peach, his life is a symbol of the traditions that live on in each of us."

Tigress' crimson eyes widened at Po's prolific message, exchanging glances with Master Shifu, who also held an equally puzzled expression on his own aged face. Po finished speaking, and with a bow, took his leave from the stage with an entrancing calm blanketing itself over everyone in the Palace.

Master Shifu speedily took to the platform. "Thank you for those.. enigmatic words, Dragon Warrior--"

As the red panda went on to speak, Po took his seat next to Tigress and her fellow Masters, who all stared back at him with wide eyes and slightly agape mouths. She was about to say something, but her thought process was interrupted by a large explosion. Eyes went upward at the brilliant fireworks display that erupted into the night sky.

In the background, lively music began to play as patrons made their way from the stands and spilled onto the arena floor.. Some to dance, others happily co-mingling amongst one another.. Tigress felt Po's hand slowly creep into hers; she turned to face him again, noticing the peaceful smile that graced his lips, a smile that reminded her so much of her old, dearly loved Master Oogway…

"How did I do?" Were the only words to escape the panda's mouth.

She leaned forward and pressed her mouth to his ear. "I love you, Po."

* * *

_Just a tidbit of information, the literal English translation of Po Ping is in fact 'Precious Peace'.. And peaches, a central theme of the movie itself, is a symbol of longevity and immortality.  
_

_Review? Oh, you shouldn't have…_


	20. Chapter 20

_**Elegant, Graceful, and Clumsy**_

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**_**Disclaimer: **Kung Fu Panda is © DreamWorks Animation SKG

Okay, so this is pretty much a story request made by one of my readers by the penname of RadiantBeam.. While this wasn't the original idea in its entirety, this one just kinda wrote itself. Oh well, I hope you like it anyways! I loved writing a Mr. Ping/ Tigress bonding moment.. It's fun!

**Side Note**: For all of you who have been sending me PM's and e-mails over the hiatus over on my other story _**'Hard Habit To Break'**_, it isn't actually on-hold per say, but I just haven't had time recently to actually sit down and dedicate myself on getting to Chapter Six. Hopefully the Thanksgiving weekend is just the ticket to give me a moment of peace to get that updated… So just as a recap: IT 'AINT OVER 'TIL IT'S OVER!

_So as always: __**Read, Review and Enjoy!**_

_**

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**_**Quickie Nineteen**

_Adorable_

--

Tigress' amber eyes followed the movements of expert feathered wings as Mr. Ping worked fresh dough through his hands, kneading the long thread into delicate noodle strands.

She sighed and dropped her head and gently massaged her temples... It had been a long day.

Training with the new students, while on the most part a tremendous success, had left the feline physically and mentally drained; she definitely hadn't anticipated the incredible amount of vigor and determination needed to keep the rambunctious group of energetic bunnies in line..

She had valiantly fought the red panda over teaching the class, telling him over and over that she wasn't able to handle such a task; though she was an excellent tutor for Po, Tigress was clueless on how to approach children. But his decision was final, and she respected his wishes.

Even though Master Shifu had originally appointed Po as their instructor, he, along with Monkey, Mantis, and Crane, had been sent off to the Western Highlands to settle territorial disputes between neighboring villages, acting as negotiators between the two warring factions. It was a long journey to such a remote region of China, and they weren't expected to return for at least three months.

But it had already been at least that long, and there had been no word of their return as of yet.

If that wasn't enough, not even two weeks after the boys had been sent away, Shifu and Viper had left on a good-will trip to visit the Emperor to report on dealings concerning the Valley of Peace, leaving the Tiger Master in charge of affairs in his stead…

Tigress felt her mind was slowly slipping away with these extra burdens, but at least there was always one person she could turn to—

And, as if right on cue, a steaming bowl of soup came sliding across the table to her seat. She looked up at the aged goose, and smiled, "Thank you, Mr. Ping."

"Anytime, my dear." He chuckled, watching her unceremoniously devour the contents of the soup bowl without utensils, "So.. Any news on when my Po will be coming home?"

Putting the bowl down, she shook her head, "I'm afraid not, but I feel that it should be any day now."

"Well, I hope he comes home soon.. I would rather see my grandchildren sooner than later, you know."

The feline almost choked on her soup; _Talk about a parent's incessant meddling-- _"Please Mr. Ping, not this again.." She let an exasperated sigh escape her lips; ever since Po had announced their relationship to his father, the intrusive old avian pried almost nonstop on when he could expect to hear the pitter-patter of tiny feet running around in his kitchen.

It was, let's just say, one of his '_top priorities'_.

"I'm not going to be around forever," He warned, lifting a wooden ladle in his wing, "One of these days you will blink and.. **POOF!** I'll be gone!"

Tigress pinched her eyes shut, and in an instant, reopened them, "Not today.." She grinned.

Mr. Ping scoffed, and stood up from his seat, visibly flustered from her joking, yet, sarcastic comment. "Excuse me while I fetch more wood for the stove." With that, he turned and made his way to the back of the restaurant; the fading laughter of his son's girlfriend was still ringing through his ears when he finally made it outside.

_Unbelievable.. I thought she was more respectful than that! What Po sees in that girl I'll never—_his thoughts were immediately cut off by a sound.. Though it was soft, it was almost unmistakable, almost as if he had heard it before, the sound of…

_Whimpering?_

Then he noticed a quivering bundle against the towering stacks of firewood; He froze. "Oh.. oh my…" He rushed over to it, frantically shouting Tigress' name out behind him. By the time she had reached the rear entrance, Mr. Ping had already taken the bundle into his wings, his tepid brown eyes looking down upon the infant child that lay wrapped within the woolen fabric.

Her eyes widened at the sight in front of her, "Mr. Ping.. W-what's going on?"

He looked up at her with a soft smile, "It's a panda cub." Walking over to her, the goose held up the bundle. "Can you hold him while I fetch the wood?"

She hesitated.

Tigress had never held an infant before in her entire life, but with a firm nod, carefully lifted the child into her arms as Mr. Ping picked out chopped timber for the stove. Her expression softened at the sight of the cub in her arms as it snuggled against her chest, and she gently began stroking the infant's cheek with her finger. The cub's brilliant jade eyes snapped open wide and darted up to the female tiger's face; he cooed and took her finger into his tiny paws, giggling slightly when she wiggled it.

"Well now, don't you two look so adorable together?" Mr. Ping chuckled, several large pieces of firewood in wing, "Now come inside, we should make arrangements for him."

"Arrangements?" Tigress repeated.

"Of course, I will not leave an abandoned child on my doorstep!" He said determinately, making his way back to the rear door of the restaurant. Tigress followed closely behind him, her eyes never leaving the child that now was asleep in her arms..

She smiled; the tiny panda was still tightly gripping her finger.

* * *

"M-Mr. Ping, I can't possibly.."

The avian chuckled, "Of course you can…feeding a child is not that difficult!"

"I wouldn't even know where to start!" she defended, making sure to keep her voice at a minimum to ensure the cub would not awaken. The little panda was lying asleep in her arms.

"And why not? I cared for Po in his infancy, and I can say from experience that it wasn't that big of an ordeal."

Tigress sighed. She could fight an army at Weeping River, hold off scores of weapons without breaking a sweat, make Po cry like a little girl, but she could never win out in an argument against Mr. Ping.. _Never_. She bit her lower lip, and, putting the child in her lap, began unfastening the clips to her vest. The goose looked at her as if she had grown six heads.

"No no, that's not what I meant…" He walked over to the female tiger, handing her a flask filled with rice milk. "Use this."

She took it and dropped her head, blushing slightly. "Oh…I'm sorry Mr. Ping, you know I'm still new to this."

Taking a seat next to the tiger, he offered her a smile, "Of course child, I understand. It was quite an experience with Po as well."

Tigress smirked. She had almost forgotten that Mr. Ping was no stranger for fostering an infant child, even if it was the big loveable panda she had come to adore. Her eyes widened with that fleeting thought however; that was a factor she had failed to consider.. It was all fine and good for her to take care of a child, that much she was sure of, but what she failed to reflect on was the impending arrival of the others. How would they react, especially Po and Master Shifu? Would Po embrace the idea of Tigress caring for an infant at this stage in their relationship.. how would that change things?

"You seem a bit troubled." Mr. Ping said quietly, effectively breaking Tigress from her trance. She shook her head and looked over at him.

"Yes, I still don't know how Po or Shifu will respond to this situation.."

The avian laughed lightly before hopping down from his seat, "Well, I'm not certain about Master Shifu, but I know Po would embrace the idea of having a son."

"Mr. Ping, he's not--" she began, getting cut off by the aged bird as he walked through the front entrance to the shop.

"I know, I know… I'm going to purchase some groceries for the pantry. I should be back within an hour." He sighed, disappearing through the doorframe. "I trust you can watch over him until I get back?"

"Of course Mr. Ping." She called out, just enough to jar the infant from its slumber. The cub began to whimper quietly, so she took the opportunity to attempt and feed him. "Shh, it's alright little one. Are you hungry?" She soothed, putting the flask up to the child's muzzle. The tiny panda graciously accepted the offer.

Tigress couldn't help but grin as she thought about what Mr. Ping had said; the more she pondered it, the more she wondered of what it would be like to have a family of her own.. Then her thought process deflated.

_Tigress, what are you thinking? You are a Kung-Fu Master, not a mother.. _"Besides, Po would never agree to this…"

"Agree to what?"

The feline almost jumped out of her skin at the unmistakable voice. Her eyes darted across the room to the front doorway, where the midday sun framed a smiling red panda. "M-Master Shifu!? What are you.. When did y-you get back!?"

He chuckled, Viper appearing by his side. "Just now, actually."

Viper smiled as she slithered past the red panda and up to her female companion. "Tigress, it seems like it's been forever since we last talked! I can't tell you how much I missed--" Then she noticed the cub wrapped up in the tiger's arms, contentedly sucking on the flask. This didn't escape the female tiger's notice. The tree snake looked up at her, confused as could be.

"Tigress? What is…"

"Nothing! It-- it's nothing." She pantomimed 'silence' with her eyes, receiving nothing more than a nod from her friend, but Master Shifu wasn't going to buy it.

"It sure sounds like something." He said, pacing slowly over to the table.

"Master, please, it's nothing you need to concern yourself with." She spoke nervously, standing up from her seat and turning around to conceal the infant in her arms. He pulled a serious face and hopped up onto the table's surface.

"Tigress, turn around."

Her mind was racing; she knew she was in deep enough for defying Shifu this far, and there was no logical way to keep the cub hidden from him forever. With a soft sigh escaping her lips, the tiger turned around to reveal the infant panda. At first, Shifu was at a loss for words; immediately he came to the conclusion that somehow she and Po were having carnal relations without his knowledge.. a frightening thought, yes, but not improbable seeing how serious their relationship was getting…

"Tigress?" She looked at him, eyes sincere and solid. He wanted to know everything, but that wasn't the first thing that popped out of his mouth—"Uh… What is his name?"

_Who's the father?_

She stared at him in disbelief, "--His name, Master?"

A grin gradually grew on his face. "Yes, have you named him yet?"

_If you say Po Junior, Po Senior won't live to see the New Year…_

"I haven't yet, Master."

Shifu hesitated; he needed to ask that one question that was just itching at his throat.. But she could take it the wrong way. She and Po had always sought Shifu's approval in every major decision they made together as a couple. They trusted his judgment, they trusted _him_--

"…Poor thing; Mr. Ping found him near the back entrance." Tigress spoke up, cradling the infant against her chest, and effectively breaking Master Shifu's cynicism. "Could you imagine Master, leaving a child alone on a stranger's doorstep? Heaven knows how long he was out there.."

She was going to add something further, but the panda cub was trying to climb out of her arms; something had caught his interest. Her eyes followed the infant's arm gestures to the object, or rather objects, of his full attention.. Shifu's ears. Tigress' smile grew wider, locking gazes with the red panda.

The female tiger knelt down beside Shifu, a hint of amusement in her tone of voice. "I think he likes you."

"I'll be the judge of that." He said as Tigress brought the panda closer to his face. Again the cub cooed at the seemingly enormous ears atop the diminutive Master's head. Reaching out, the tiny panda successfully seized one of them, and began nibbling at the tip of it, earning shrieking laughter from both Viper and Tigress; Shifu just rolled his eyes, but couldn't help but join them in their laughter.

Even if Po wasn't the father, there was one thing the two pandas shared in common: a tremendous appetite_..._

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_Almost two weeks later…_

Four figures moved silently through the village as the Sun, burning a brilliant hue of crimson red, faded behind a ridge of mountains, retracting the last of its golden rays from the peaceful landscape.

"I think we need to have some kind of briefing before Shifu sends us out on 'missions' like these.." Mantis flexed his feelers at the mention of the word _mission_, and slowly collapsed onto Monkey's shoulder, with the primate groaning in approval of the praying mantis' insight.

Po and Crane exchanged glances; they were after all the ones that ended up doing most of the work. Because this type of assignment required verbal negotiation in exchange of combat, the Panda and Red-Crowned Crane were perfectly suited for the task; most likely for the fact that Mantis was as impatient as ever, and Monkey was just a horrible conversationalist. But through it all, the two villages ultimately laid their differences aside and proposed peace.

But on the road home, Po suggested they take a 'shortcut' through the Wu-Long Mountains, putting them weeks off course and in the middle of Kaifeng, the Chinese capital city. And after wandering the capital for several days, he was finally confronted by Mantis as to explain his reasoning for this little 'misstep'; Po simply smiled and replied that he was running a last-minute errand for a friend, and left it at that-- Crane seemed to know what the panda was talking about; Monkey shrugged it off.. and as for Mantis? After Po took him to the best dim-sun restaurant the city had to offer as retribution for dragging them off their route home, the praying mantis also peacefully stood down.

The group of warriors took a turn down the main street of the village, and Po finally caught the sights, and smells, of his father's noodle shop, one of the things he had admittedly missed the most while being away--

Then again, Tigress was also waiting for him.. Okay, the noodle shop was the _second _most thing he missed, although his stomach still told him differently...

"Well, I'm not sure about you guys, but I need to get some food in me before I die. Any takers?"

The panda was met with three nods of silent agreement, and with a smile, he led the others into the courtyard of his father's restaurant. They were met with the usual Thursday evening crunch; almost every table was filled with hungry customers, and the sound of laughter and light conversation filled the air. Weaving their way through the throngs of people, the four almost made it inside, but they were stopped by sight of Viper and Master Shifu, sitting in one corner of the courtyard. They walked over to the table, and bowed.

Shifu held one hand up, "No need for formalities, Masters." He immediately looked over at Po and grinned, "Dragon Warrior.."

"Yes, Master?"

"Someone is waiting inside for you."

He bowed again, and the giant panda began to walk over to the doorway to the kitchen. Watching the others taking a seat through the corner of his eye, Po also noticed the red panda's gaze, and grin, had never left him…

"Po!" The aged goose cried, before burying his head into the panda's stomach. "Good to have you back, son.."

"Thanks, dad. It's great to finally be home again." The giant panda's eyes wandered around the familiar sights of the shop's kitchen, finally resting his gaze back down upon his father. "So, someone's here for me?" The old man's smile seemed to widen at his question as his eyes caught sight of something behind the panda.

"Of course I am.." A smooth voice called out, and before Po could even turn, he was spun around into waiting arms.

He smiled at his captor, "Tigress."

"You're a little late, aren't you?" She purred in reply.

"Well, I had to make a little stop on the way back." He noticed his dad was still staring at them, a ridiculous grin gracing his bill. "Uh, you want to go upstairs and continue this little talk?"

She nodded, and together they ascended the stairwell into the apartment above the store. Once they reached the landing, Po proceeded to his room, only to get yanked back by Tigress' arm. He yelped, earning him a slapped tiger paw to his mouth.

"Quiet!" She said sharply, albeit in a soft whisper.

"Why are you whispering, and why did you try and dislocate my shoulder!?" Po asked; his voice remained muffled under the weight of Tigress' paw.

"I need to show you something, but you need to promise me that you will be quiet.. Understood?" He responded with a slight nod, and the feline took her hand away from his mouth. She focused her attention on Mr. Ping's bedroom door, and with a soft sigh, opened it, pulling the confused panda into the room. She shut the door quietly behind them.

"Now Po, I--"

She didn't get a chance to finish; Po was already standing rigid at the sight of his old crib in front of him, and even more stunned that it was being occupied by a napping cub… A _panda _cub. He was instantly floored, struggling just to keep himself from having a heart attack.

_No no no… We didn't do this.. We. Didn't.. Do, THIS! We didn't, we couldn't have possibly-- What did I do!? _

He turned around to face her, mouth agape and his eyes wide, as if to say: 'How did this happen?'

She firmly took his hands, "Po, listen to me.. he's not our child; your father and I found him several weeks ago at the back entrance. We considered bringing him to Bau-Gu, but in the end--" the feline looked him in the eyes, "We decided it was best to keep him here in the Valley; give him a chance to have a good home and a loving family."

By her words, his expression had visibly softened somewhat, although the look of shock never completely left his face.. And even though it didn't seem like it at first, Tigress silently swore that she saw the faintest trace of a smile tugging at his lips.

"So like, you want to raise him, as a _son_?" He faintly asked.

The tiger nodded, "He deserves a second chance."

They both turned their attention to the child as it let out a contented (and rather loud) yawn, and cuddled more deeply into its blanket. Tigress felt two arms wrap around her body, and by the time she looked up, her lips were connected to his. She slowly sank into his embrace, internally overjoyed that he was more than eager about raising a child with her, just as Mr. Ping said. After a long moment of blissful silence, he broke away; his face was radiantly beaming.

"I always knew that you would make an awesome mother.. But--"

She looked at him with a curious stare, "But what?"

He smiled, and pecked her lightly on the nose. "For every mother, there needs to be a father." Po pulled away from her, and fell to one knee, still holding one of her paws. "I was going to wait until tomorrow night to do this, but I guess now is as good a time as ever…" Tigress' eyes opened wide while he pulled out a simple gold ring from his pocket, "…Ever since I first met you, there was always something in my heart telling me that you were the only woman in the world that would make me happy--"

Po took a deep breath, and stared into her striking crimson eyes…

"Marry me."

For the moment, all she could do was stare back at him.. Silent, emotionless… and then, the largest, and Po claimed the most beatific smile he had ever seen, exploded across her face.

"You, you want me to--"

He nodded, grinning like an idiot, "Would you?"

"…Yes" She whispered, pulling Po to his feet and into a tight embrace. "Yes, I will."

Po smiled and looked towards the door, listening to the knowing sounds of their friends, and fathers, enthusiastically whispering amongst each other out in the hallway.

Finally he had done it; it had taken two years, but he had done it, from the very moment he fell in front of her during the tournament, to this very instant in time… As far as he was concerned, it was like a dream come true. Tigress said yes to the question that burned at his throat from the moment she said she loved him. And Tigress, calm and collected as she usually was, was in high heaven. She had often wondered when –or if—he would ever ask her to marry him. But he had. She made a mental note to pinch herself to make sure this was indeed reality and not some elaborate dream sequence. Their peace was not to last…

An elated feminine shriek came from the hallway. No doubt Viper had finally found them crowded around the doorway--

He pressed his mouth to Tigress' ear, "Jeez, they sure like to pry, don't they?"

"Let them be, Po.. Besides, there are more pressing issues that need to be addressed."

"Issues like--?"

She rested her head over Po's right shoulder, "Naming our son."

Po sat silent for a moment, mulling the question through his mind, all the while gazing at the ring that he was gently rolling between his index fingers. Of any name he could choose, it had to be--"Jin Hu."

Tigress broke their embrace, looking up at him with a slightly confused expression crossing her features. She didn't understand his meaning at first, but when he took her left paw and gently slipped the gold band onto her finger, it all made sense…

"Golden Tiger." She said, getting a nod from her husband-to-be.

Turning around, the newly engaged couple walked together up to the crib, and Po gently lifted the sleeping child into his arms.. He stroked the tiny panda's cheek with his finger and kissed his forehead. Tigress looked on, watching their child's tiny paws grab at the thick fur on Po's chest.

She smiled, "He's gorgeous, just like his Baba."

"No, his Mama definitely holds the looks."

They shared a kiss when finally, _**finally**_, the bedroom door opened, revealing the meddling interlopers from the hall. Master Shifu and Mr. Ping, with knowing eyes and soft grins, were the first to come into the room, followed by their fellow Masters. Mr. Ping wasted no time in making their presence known to them.

"Oh, happy day! I'm finally a grandfather!"

Po and Tigress shared a glance, before he turned to his father, "Perfect timing dad.. So I guess I don't need to waste my time telling you that I'm a husband and a father at the same time?" Then he turned to Shifu, "…and I'm guessing that you already knew about this?"

Shifu sighed, "That Tigress had taken in a child with the ultimate intention of raising it? Yes. That I'm going to eviscerate you for proposing to my foster daughter—" The feline sent him a glare; he merely grinned, his eyes dancing with joy as he looked upon the child in Po's arms.

"…I'm proud of both of you."

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_End._


	21. Chapter 21

_**Elegant, Graceful, and Clumsy**_

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**Disclaimer: **Kung Fu Panda is © 2008 DreamWorks Animation SKG

_So as always: __**Read, Review and Enjoy!**_

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_A/N: Well it certainly has been quite some time since I updated this, now hasn't it? Thank you all for the gracious comments I've gotten so far, they're very much loved and appreciated. The following Quickie (and I use that term lightly) was inspired by hollyberry's Chapter One drabble 'Meditation' from her PoFu fic 'Warriors of the Heart'.. So all the love goes out to her for the idea!_

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**Quickie Twenty**

_It's Late_

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Tigress sighed and opened her eyes.. awakened from her meditative state by two black arms wrapping around her. She smiled inwardly as a warm breath washed over the back of her neck.

"Po," she reprimanded gently, "How many times do I need to remind you not to disturb me while I'm meditating?" The panda scoffed and pressed his mouth to her left ear.

"But it's late Tigress.." he said, pulling her flush against his chest. Tigress chuckled.

"Patience, Po. Didn't you ever hear the phrase that patience is a virtue? Of all people, you should know that."

"Let's not fight," he murmured, drawing his tongue up the side of the tiger's neck. Tigress gasped sharply. Trembling, she tilted her head back alongside his shoulder.

"Y'know I can leave you alone, if you want me to—"

"Don't you dare," she whimpered, her usually strong voice now shaking.

The feline felt clawed fingers dancing up her chest, nonchalantly tapping the metal clasps that held her maroon vest in place. "That's what I thought." The giant panda whispered.

It wasn't too long before he felt the unmistakable sensation of the feline's soft purr, her tail swishing innocently against his large stomach. "Now, are you coming to bed?" Po offered. Tigress said nothing, and blew out the candles.

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_A/N: Don't worry, I haven't forgotten/given up on 'Hard Habit To Break', school's just been, well, you know how it is. Hope you all enjoyed the real quick quickie!_


	22. Chapter 22

_**Elegant, Graceful, and Clumsy**_

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**Disclaimer:**Kung Fu Panda is © 2008 DreamWorks Animation SKG

Just another quickie idea that popped into my head shortly after reading 'Things Po Can Never Do Again' by ruff1298, so credit goes out to him for the inspiration! Features the ever-so adorable Shifu and his enormous, fuzzy, honking ears.

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**Quickie Twenty-One**

_Work of Art_

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"Where's Baba?"

"I told you sweetheart, Baba's in the training hall with Gong gong Shifu…"

"I wanna show him what I made. Can we go see Baba now?"

Tigress smiled as she lifted the impatient little panda cub into her arms, "Of course."

Holding him close to her chest, she began padding towards the door to her bedroom, that is, _before_ she felt him trying to wriggle out of her grasp. She looked down at him, "Honey, I told you we're going to—" He squeezed through her arms and slipped down to the floor, running on all fours to the other side of the room.

"JIN!"

"Hold on Mama…"

She chuckled as she watched her little boy scamper about the room. It was _still _a little bit difficult to comprehend how time could fly by so quickly.

Little Jin-Hu was quickly approaching four years old, and already he was just as bouncy and energetic as his father. Ever since they had brought him in as their own child, Tigress had slowly been shying away from training—mostly for Jin's sake. Although she initially wasn't too keen on the idea, she soon realized that being a mother was much more rewarding than spending all day in a hot, humid hall. Subsequently, he had only seen the training hall a few times in passing, but his curiosity on the happenings in there had him piqued. But Shifu had insisted that the boy be kept away until he came of age. So to keep the toddler from harming himself, she needed to find him some kind of distraction.

And surprisingly, Master Crane had found the answer she was looking for…

"Found it!" Jin said excitedly, and delicately lifted a small clay sculpture into his arms.

Tigress chuckled; the cub had prided himself with his little 'project.' It had nearly taken him all morning to get it right, but he happily showed his work to the others. And after some serious deliberation—or Monkey having to give him a cookie to tell them what he had made—the Furious Five were the only ones to know what it was, and that was what confused her. To Tigress, it was nothing more than two large lumps of muddy grey clay slapped onto a wooden tablet, but that just went to show how much she understood art.

Although, for one reason or another, it _did_ look very familiar. Familiar to what, she didn't exactly know… Her thought process stopped short when she heard the door open behind her—

"Hey you two, having fun?"

The cub's brilliant green eyes seemed to light up at the sound of his father's voice. "Babaaaaa!" The cub cried, and practically bolted across the room to the larger panda. Po scooped the little boy up into his arms while Master Shifu walked in behind him.

"Whoa whoa, slow down… what's my little guy all excited over?" Po smiled when the toddler graciously lifted his clay creation up to show him. The larger male panda exchanged glances with Tigress, who simply shrugged her shoulders. He had to confess though, Jin had a rather interesting.. creative spark.

"That's er—um, huh... this, this is awesome!"

Jin giggled, "I made this for Gong Gong! I hope he likes it."

This made Shifu smile, "Ah, you made me a gift? Well, Po, let the boy down and let's see it then." Po let the energetic ball of fur out of his arms and onto the floor, and watched on bemused as the cub ecstatically made his way over to the small Master. With a wide grin, Jin held the sculpture out to the red panda, and motioned for him to take it. Shifu's gaze immediately went up to Tigress. Again, the tiger sighed and shrugged her shoulders.

He wanted to say how grateful he was for the effort that Jin put into making him this, well…

_What.. IS this?_

…right, whatever it was.

"This, uh… it-it's.. hmmm…" Shifu raised a finger up to his chin and scratched his beard while he studied it. He just hoped that the young panda wouldn't take it the wrong way, but he just needed to know.. Like Tigress, art was never his forte.

Where was Master Oogway when you needed him—"Tell me, young one, what is this supposed to be?"

The boy just smirked, and extended his small finger out towards Shifu's head, and replied, "Ears."

Shifu's mouth fell agape, "…Ears?" Jin nodded. He looked up at Po, who was desperately trying to bite down a laugh—grinning like a madman, he might add—then at Tigress… well, she had already lost that battle, and was practically holding her sides to stop herself from laughing so hard.

The red panda grunted, and clamped his hands on his head in a futile attempt to hide his regrettably enormous ears.. It failed miserably. _Small hands, big ears… Why do the gods hate me?_

"Jin—" he cleared his throat, "this is.. very nice, but did you know that Kung-Fu is also an art…"

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A/N: Me: "Sorry Shifu, it had to be done… Besides, you know Jin loves your big, furry, gigantic, oversized, fuzzy-wuzzy—"

Shifu: "ENOUGH!"


	23. Chapter 23

_**Elegant, Graceful, and Clumsy**_

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**Disclaimer: **Kung Fu Panda is © 2008 DreamWorks Animation SKG

A/N: This was not entirely my own idea, but rather the *ahem* creation of my girlfriend.. Not much to say, but this one's for you! Oh, and just a tidbit of information before y'all read: this is lime bordering lemon scented-Pine Sol. It's not graphic in any way, just suggestive ;)

Read, Review, and hope you get a good laugh out of it! (I know I did)

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**Quickie Twenty-Two**

_Maiden Voyage_

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"You're nuts, Monkey."

The golden languor sent the praying mantis a glare, "Cram it. I KNOW for a fact I had two dozen cookies in this forsaken jar…"

"Gods, will you two _please _be quiet, for just _one_ minute tonight?" This was the slightly agitated voice of Crane; the usually placid red-crowned avian had apparently heard more than enough of their bickering for one day.

"Why? It's not my fault he's got an obsessive need to count his precious almond cookies."

"Oh will you SHUT UP Mantis!" Monkey blasted, "Instead of being so hell-bent over my own habits, why don't you get yourself a nice lady-friend and whine at her all day?! Maybe then you'll stop being so damn annoying…"

Mantis glared at him, "YEAH?! Well at least _I'm _not the captain of the 'S.S. Ain't Getting Any'!"

"No, but you're one of my returning passengers, THAT'S for sure—"

"Enough you two! For heaven's sake!" Crane tipped his straw hat down and shook his head; but Mantis was right—forget taking their frustrations out during training.. they both _desperately _needed girlfriends.

As the simian and mantis quietly muttered some final thoughts under their breath, Po slowly sauntered the kitchen, humming happily to himself. The three other males noted the unusual spring in his step, and the rather out of character (okay, well not completely out of character) contented smile on the panda's lips.

"Hey you guys, such a lovely day, isn't it? Yeah, wonderful day…you three look awesome, you know that? Where's Tigress?"

The three seated at the table exchanged glances.. this really _was _unlike him.

"Jeez Po, who shoved a bluebird in you?" Crane playfully asked; he let out an internal sigh of relief. Maybe Monkey and Mantis could take a plate from the Dragon Warrior's never ending buffet of happiness—

"You know the 'S.S. Ain't Getting Any'?" Mantis pointed to the panda and smirked, "…Man overboard."

Through widened eyes, Monkey and Crane looked at the praying mantis, then each other, and then up at Po. The red-crowned crane violently shook his head. There was no way. There was no _freaking way that they…_

"Come on, you must be pulling my leg…you and Tigress?"

Po puffed out his chest, wearing a reasonably large satisfied grin on his face. "Yup. Last night, the lady and I had a little 'maiden voyage' of our own…"

Monkey bumped fists with the panda, all the while mirroring Crane's incredulous expression, "Dude, you're serious..? Last night?"

He nodded, gathering some peaches in his paw, "…and this morning."

"Talk about living up to the namesake of the Dragon Warrior!" Mantis beamed, tossing his comrade-in-arms a wink, "Po, you've gotta tell me how you swayed her to do that…"

Po's smile seemed to fade just a bit at the thought, "I feel kinda bad, though. I mean, here I am talking about it so carelessly like we're discussing the weather.. If Tigress heard me talking like this, she'd probably be mortified…"

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"…and just when I thought I wore him out, he flips me over like an old tatami mat, and off we go again!"

Viper stared in amazement at her feline friend, "…Po?"

Tigress fell into a bout of uncharacteristic giggles, "Yeah…I couldn't even catch my breath, it was such a marathon. I swear, it was more exhausting than that time Master Shifu had us run the obstacle course a hundred times in a row. It...it was incredible."

The green tree snake's mouth fell agape, "…You mean big, gentle carefree Po?"

With a wide smile, the tiger enthusiastically nodded, "And guess how he woke me up this morning?"

And _that _was almost more than Viper could handle. While she grudgingly admitted that she was happy for her best friend, the fact that she herself was still single made her feel just a little pang of jealousy towards the feline. After all, Tigress' heart wasn't the only one Po had stolen…she had still beaten herself up over missing that boat. Well, at least there were still three other men—Shifu unfortunately didn't count—in the Jade Palace to hit on.

Heading towards the kitchen, the two females couldn't help but overhear the knowing laughter of their male counterparts just up the hallway… Viper had entered the room first, briefly catching gazes with Po before taking her place at the table, while Tigress remained behind, leaning up against the doorframe.

Po smiled shyly at her, "Hey there, stranger."

"Hey yourself, Dragon Warrior…" Tigress noted the peaches in his hand, and threw him a sly 'come hither' stare. "I trust you're saving those for later, because I was hoping you could help me with something in my room…"

"Yeah, of course." He dropped the fruit and hastily made his way to the door, taking her hand, "Uh, we'll be back very quickie—"

"Quickly," she corrected.

"Right."

The pair disappeared through the door, leaving four _very _confused individuals behind. After about a minute of stunned silence, Mantis was the first to speak up,

"Wait, you don't think that they're going to—"

Crane gave him a sidelong glance, "Oh, I have _no_ idea. Just try not to think about it."

Coincidentally, off in the distance, the distinctive thunderous rumble of fireworks began to fill up the peaceful twilight air, forcing the four warriors out of their seats and to the window to gaze at the sight, before Viper finally blurted out: "Wow, he really _is_ good."

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A/N: …I apologize for nothing. And yes, I realize that a tatami mat is a flooring component typically used in Japanese architecture. It just seemed to fit somehow. Ah, gotta love the details! Review, please!


	24. Chapter 24

_**Elegant, Graceful, and Clumsy**_

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**Disclaimer: **Kung Fu Panda is © 2008 DreamWorks Animation SKG

A/N: Relationships are far from perfect, and those who are fortunate enough to be sharing their life with that special someone certainly knows what I mean…but what do I know? I'm just a guy :)

Read it, Enjoy it, and for the love of pancakes, Review it!

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**Quickie Twenty-Three**

_Cause and Effect_

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Three weeks.

They hadn't spoken to each other in three weeks.

Viper was no stranger to argumentative streaks, especially when dealing with a fiery and explosive temper like the one Tigress possessed. But she didn't know how much longer this was going to last; yes, Po did cause substantial damage to the training hall…

And yes, the panda did more harm in attempting to repair said training hall, but he did it out of the sincerest intentions.

Nevertheless, when the usually collected feline found out…

The rest they say is history. Explosive arguments, the cold shoulder treatment, physical confrontations.. Well, the last part was technically sparring—or at least, what Master Shifu ordered her and the others to call it—but even then, Viper had never seen Tigress so steamed.

The tree viper noted the deafening silence as she slowly approached the kitchen, only to have that silence violently broken by two raised voices bickering just around the corner. With cautious subtlety, she poked her head into the doorframe of the kitchen, silently watching the two squabbling figures from afar.

"…and I told you, for the ten-millionth time, it was an ACCIDENT!"

"And I'm telling you—_Panda_—that _this_ just proves what a dimwitted moron you really are!"

Viper silently gasped; she hadn't heard Tigress call Po by that name for longer than she could remember…was Tigress really this pissed off about the whole thing? And all over _one_ stupid accident?

"I'm not having this argument again." Po pressed passed the tiger rather gruffly and continued over to the stove, throwing some chopped vegetables into a boiling pot of water. "Now if you don't mind, I have dinner to make for the others."

"Oh no you don't," she replied, and grabbed him by the arm, whipping the panda around so he was facing her. "I've been waiting for three weeks, and I expect an apology for your recklessness."

Po just stared at her, dumbstruck. "You expect _me_ to apologize, to _you_?"

"Expect it and demand it!" Tigress shot back, tightening her grip on his arm.

"You know what!?" He asked, suddenly loosing his temper, "Maybe I'd be more willing to apologize if you stopped being such a hot-headed _bitch _who mocks my every move!"

She glared at him, "…says the pretentious _ass_ that can't pass up a free meal!"

"What does that mean, you…you think I can't control my hunger!?"

"You'd probably eat dirt if I put it in a bowl!" she yelled, taking a few menacing steps forward and getting in his face. "So why don't you tell me what you really think, huh? Would that make the self-righteous holier-than-thou Dragon Warrior feel better about himself!?"

"You damn hussy!"

"Blowhard!"

"_Witch_!"

A growl ripped through the tiger's throat as she pounced on the panda…

Viper quickly recoiled her head and pressed her back against the wall, bracing for whatever might happen next. But as she counted the seconds after that verbal assault on her ears—there was nothing. Just silence. Unable to take the tension any longer, she took a deep breath to calm herself down (and to swallow the lump that had formed in her throat) and looked back into the room…

And was shocked into stupidity.

Steaming water and diced vegetables were strewn across the kitchen floor; the pot, turned on its side, was hanging precariously over the edge of the counter. They both were also still in the room, all limbs attached and no blood in sight.

But that wasn't what was putting Viper a half-inch away from splitting her jaw in half.

Tigress, without any attempt at delicacy or grace, had pinned Po against the counter…both of them locked together in the most passionate kiss the tree snake had possibly ever seen, watching in stunned silence as their hands carelessly began to drift, inciting lustful purrs from the feline while his fingers ran through the fur between her ears.

Viper turned away and slithered back down the hallway towards the bunkhouse, slowly shaking her head and refusing to acknowledge the technicalities of mixing cause and effect.

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A/N: ...Holy hell in a handbasket. Well, my fingers be naughty tonight! Oh well, hope you enjoyed and please review! Cheers :)


	25. Chapter 25

_**Elegant, Graceful, and Clumsy**_

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**Disclaimer: **Kung Fu Panda is © 2008 DreamWorks Animation SKG

A/N: Before I get into the quickie, I just want to take a second to thank everyone who has been so supportive in reviewing this ongoing fic…I can't tell you all how appreciative I am for your thoughts, and especially thank Natsuke1985, Classic Cowboy, brave kid, Rock Raider, corset-rebellion-follower, Telracs1994, 082 Martian Scout, and ruff1298, among many others, for being gracious enough to review most of the more recent chapters..you guys rock!

And I also want to take this opportunity to say: 200 reviews, guys? REALLY!? I'm floored! I never expected to receive this much feedback from you guys, so thanks for that also! Now if anyone can remember back awhile, I gave the 100th reviewer—Jedi Girl—the option to give me an idea for a story, and have me write it out for her.

That culminated into one of my earlier stories, 'Autumnal Dreamscapes'. If you haven't read it, take a look…you may like it!

Anyways, that time has come again…**Roldemin** is my 200th reviewer, and thus he (or she) has the opportunity to pitch an idea and I'll write it out for you either as a Quickie here, or as a one-shot altogether. Just let me know through a PM, or as a review as to what you would like me to do!

So, without further delay, Read, Review, and Enjoy!

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**Quickie Twenty-Four**

_Views_

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Tigress stood leaning against the Sacred Peach Tree, watching the strong early-morning sun burn through the thick mist enveloping the valley below. The telling signs of spring were in full show; yellow petals from the blooming peach tree above fell around the feline, her eyes following the intricate dance of the petals on the wind as they slowly but surely fell to earth.

She smiled and closed her eyes, letting the faint scent of peach blossoms and the gentle breeze guide her body to take a seat on the soft ground. It was blissfully quiet as it usually was on spring mornings like this. There was always something she had loved about the serenity of the small plateau…

Whether it was mid-day meditation exercises with Oogway when she was just a little girl, when Shifu began teaching her the finer intricacies of _tai chi _in her adolescence… or even more recently, spending these peaceful mornings with—

"Is this seat taken?"

Tigress turned her head slightly, smiling at the panda, "Good morning, Po."

She scooted closer to the peach tree, allowing him to take a seat beside her on the soft earth. He took a deep breath and fell flat on his back, folding his arms across his chest and looking up towards the sky. "Beautiful morning, isn't it?" he asked, his gaze remaining skyward.

Tigress sighed, "It is…did you know you can see your father's shop from here?"

Po jolted upright, "Wow, really?" She chuckled and pointed the out the tiny two story building far below them; its tiled roof was glistening in the growing light of the morning sun.

"That's amazing…but not as amazing as the views I was taking in last night."

She playfully punched him in the shoulder, "Watch it, Dragon Warrior, or I might just have to close the observation deck."

He smiled and raised an eyebrow, "…at least I'll still have this one open."

"Oh really?" She teased, getting in his face, "You think this view is better, don't you? Well, if that's how you feel, then maybe I should leave you _and_ your little outlook alone for some much needed privacy." The feline began to get up, only for Po to gently pull her back down to the ground.

"Please stay," Po pouted, wrapping his arms fully around the tiger.

She giggled, "But I don't wish to impose on my Master's view…"

"Your master doesn't mind," Po took her hand and gently kissed her fingertips, "Besides, he told me that his view could always use some more black and orange, and less of—mmph!" No sooner that he had finished his sentence, she had thrown herself on him, nuzzling his chest and pressing kisses to his neck.

"You know," she purred, briefly catching his lips with her own, "there's this little place not too far from here that may have _just_ what you're looking for.."

Po smiled knowingly, tracing her cheek and down her arm, "I hope they don't charge too much for the view."

She smirked, "Don't worry; it won't cost you a thing."


	26. Chapter 26

_**Elegant, Graceful, and Clumsy**_

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**Disclaimer: **Kung Fu Panda is © 2008 DreamWorks Animation SKG

A/N: I wanted to take a break from the usual slap-stick comedy I usually put these two into and tried my hand at a more sobering subject. This quickie was partially based off of a segment of a one-shot I did some months ago, 'Fifty TiPo's', if you feel like you have an extra minute or two, you have my full permission to go ahead and take a look if you like…and just a quick note to recent reviewer **Roldemin**: I got your PM and I'm currently mulling around ideas in my head for you. Thanks for the suggestions!

But at any rate, please enjoy, and don't forget to leave a comment!

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**Quickie Twenty-Five**

_Hardest Part_

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Under a deep red sky, illuminated by the ever shrinking presence of a fading sun that seemed to burn through everything that its light touched, Tigress sat alone, trapped in deep thought over the events that had come to pass over the last several days.

There had been a call of distress from a nearby province; the Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior were called into action to intercept a throng of warlords threatening to extinguish all life in the surrounding villages and countryside, unless their demands were met. So they had left, traveled for days over expansive tracts of countryside, crossed impressively large rivers, and crossed over the chasm of the Devil's Mouth in order to reach a remote settlement over five days away from the outermost reaches of the Valley of Peace. It was supposed to be nothing more than a routine mission, or at least, that's what the leader of the Five tersely expected.

Unfortunately for all involved, that wasn't the case. It was all a ruse, a deceptive call made by one of the most feared assassins in the country. The problem was, it wasn't the Five he was after—it was the Dragon Warrior. The leader, Rong Li—a wolf—knew very well that the panda wouldn't be able to handle his own against him, and the bounty hanging over the Dragon Warrior's head was too tempting not to take.

The trap was simple: to hire trained mercenaries to lure the Five away from the Dragon Warrior just long enough so that he could get the panda alone.

And just as Rong had planned, the Five and Po had been split up to cover the seemingly abandoned mountainside settlement, a myriad of caverns and hidden pathways that had been constructed to ward off thieves and robbers. But after decades of falling into misuse, it had become exactly what it had been built to prevent itself from being.

Po wasn't ready to face him alone.

She should have stayed with him; she should have been there to protect him.

…and that's why she had beaten herself over her failure to be there for him like she promised herself she would. The tiger clenched her fists. This had all been her fault…if she had just gotten to him a moment sooner; he wouldn't be in the predicament he was in right now.

By the time she had found them, Po was already face down in the dirt; the soft ground around his unmoving form stained with his blood. She remembered the rage, the unmistakable fire that burned in her soul, and she remembered the frightened expression on the wolf's face—the last image she was able to evoke before coming to her senses moments later, covered from ear to toe in the wolf's blood, the rest of the Five rushing up behind her. They didn't know what happened, and truthfully, neither did she.

It all had happened so quickly.

And that anger…she had never felt it before. Never had there been anything like it, through the countless battles or the skirmishes she had experienced in her lifetime. It was such a blind fury, her conscious mind overtaken and shattered to pieces, riding on the fear that Po was dead. But just like the damned panda, his stubbornness to never quit kept him alive.

Monkey and Mantis did their best to staunch the blood-loss from his wounds; Viper and Crane located a nearby village, which thankfully had its own local infirmary—the panda, still unconscious from his injuries, had been under intense medical watch since then…and that was hours ago.

"Tigress?"

The feline looked up and smiled sadly. Viper always knew just the right moment to make an appearance. Tigress took a deep, albeit shaky breath and stood up, shaking her head and attempted to whisk the darker thoughts away.

"How is he?" She asked, her voice as even and cold as the breeze that evening.

Viper gave her friend a reassuring smile, "The physician said it was touch and go for a little while, but they're taking him off the more potent medication…they think he's going to be fine." If Viper believed that by revealing the latest news on Po's well being would make Tigress feel any better, it wasn't working. The feline seemed even more miserable now than before.

"Tigress?"

"They _think_?" She turned on her heel and glared at the serpent. "I don't care if they _think _he's going to make it, Viper! _They_ need to know! _I _need to know!"

The tiger took a few steps away from the tree viper and hunched over the railing, crossing her arms and resting her head on top of them. Tigress hadn't noticed that the others had come out from the waiting room, alerted by her sudden outburst, all four sets of eyes setting themselves on the distressed feline.

"Tigress," Viper began, "You have to understand that…" she stopped as she felt Crane put a wing against her side.

"Viper, let me handle this."

The bird ruffled his talons and cautiously approached the striped cat; while Viper was undoubtedly closer to Tigress in some respects, Crane had been at the Jade Palace longer than Viper had, and knew first-hand how emotional she could get when someone close to her got hurt. It had been that way since the very beginning. She kept her emotions buried in a way that when they did finally decide to surface, all of the pent-up feelings would just unleash themselves like a floodgate. He had to treat this with the utmost care and sensitivity; he could sense her rage smoldering like a volcano, ready to erupt at a moment's notice. Crane stopped just a few feet from the feline and took a deep breath, clearing his throat to make sure Tigress acknowledged his presence.

"Tigress, I know you're in hell right now, but the doctor gave us his word that he would do everything in his power to make sure Po would make it through this."

"And what if that isn't enough!?" She snapped, "What if they can't help him!?" Tears came so suddenly to her eyes that she didn't even acknowledge their existence until they fell on her still crossed arms. "How do we explain that he died on what was _supposed_ to be a routine mission to Master Shifu, or the Valley, or…or to…" She trailed off.

Crane took a firm hold of the tiger's shoulders, "Listen to me; he's going to be fine. For all we know Po could be—"

"Could be what!? All I know is that he's still in there on a table with his chest cut open! I'm sorry if I can't handle this as well as the rest of you, but I'm terrified!"

"Tigress its okay, just calm down…" Monkey voiced softly, "I mean, when all of this is over we can just—"

"NO! There is no 'when all of this is over'!" She cried, glaring at the simian, "There's no tomorrow, no next week, no next year…there is _nothing_ until he comes out of there and I know he's okay!" She started shaking, so ashamed by her outburst that she wouldn't meet anyone's eyes. The others all exchanged glances, having never seen this side of her before. The uneasiness and fear in her tone of voice startled even Mantis, who was more than used to seeing her fits of rage.

"Look, nobody meant anything." The insect said, "It's hard as hell for all of us to be here."

"I know…" Tigress whispered. She looked up at Crane, who had a small hopeful smile on his face. "It's just that, I hate hospitals, I _hate _them! I hate all of this." The feline closed her eyes and took a deep cleansing breath, wondering how much longer it would take until she could see him again…

She knew it as surely as the rest of them did.

Waiting is the hardest part.


	27. Chapter 27

_**Elegant, Graceful, and Clumsy**_

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**Disclaimer: **Kung Fu Panda is © 2008 DreamWorks Animation SKG

A/N: Ah, there's nothing like a nice vacation in good 'ol Michigan to get your head on straight! As requested by some of my readers, here's an impromptu addition to the last chapter for your enjoyment! As for reader **Roldemin, **I have finally come up with an idea per your request and am hard at work drafting it out, so again, thank you for the suggestions!

And also a quick shout-out to ruff1298 for a sound suggestion. You rock, dude!

Please enjoy reading this addition to Quickie 25, and don't forget to leave a comment! Even if it's one word, I want to hear your voices! Er, rather, typing fingers…heh..whatevers. ONWARDS WE GO!

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**Quickie Twenty-Six**

_A Promise Kept_

_­_--

He couldn't fight him like this.

Though he wasn't outnumbered, he was still clearly lacking in skill. Po was only able to dodge Rong Li's attacks for so long, and even then, he was beginning to falter. Po knew exactly what was going on—this wolf was silently sizing him up, trying to see just how capable he really was. Without warning the canine growled and dashed forward, swiping his left foot under Po's legs and sending the panda crashing to the ground with a resounding thud.

Po hurled himself back onto his feet, catching the wolf by the collar and tossing him over his shoulder like a ragdoll, but Rong was quickly back up, taking—much to Po's shock—a rather casual posture. "I honestly believed that you'd be more of a challenge." He said indifferently, "Come on Panda, surely you can do better than this."

_Oh, hell no. _He definitely did not need this.

Po knew exactly what was going on: the wolf was taunting him, trying to catch him off guard—and unfortunately for Po, it was working like a charm. Po bit down a growl tearing at his throat and dipped his form into a low battle stance, readying himself for…whatever was to come from all this.

"Who are you, and what do you want from me!?" He snarled.

The wolf chuckled mirthlessly and circled the panda, "Who I am is of no importance to you, but what I want," he acted quickly, punching Po in the chest and propelling him into a wall of rock, "Is you. Your life is rather protected in the Valley of Peace, up in that gilded Palace you call home. But out here…out here we do whatever it takes to make due, just so we can live to see tomorrow. And when I heard of the bounty for your head, well, let's just say that ridiculous face of yours will make a fine addition to someone's mantelpiece."

Po gaped, "What?"

Bounty? There was a price tag on the Dragon Warrior's life? Since when, and on whose authority? Was he really this widely-known? And even if he was, no assassin in their right minds would even _think _of attacking him, right? He was the _Dragon Warrior_, defeater of Tai Lung and savior of the Valley of Peace. Of course, this time he was well out of his element. This wasn't like fighting Tai Lung…nowhere near it; he was simply playing a game of keep-away with the snow leopard. This time it was different. He wasn't fighting for a scroll. He was fighting for his life.

Po wracked his brain, giving Rong the opportunity he had been waiting for. He charged the panda and swiped his claws across Po's chest. He fell, and rolled out of the way as a fist came crashing into the soft earth, creating a crater where he had been not a split-second before.

Po stood as rigidly as he could, reeling from the pain of the fresh slash wounds crossing his chest. He clamped one paw over the slice marks gorged into his white fur, not even noticing the streaming crimson rivulets of his blood trickling from the gaps between his fingers.

"Unfortunate," the wolf said with a dismissive shrug, "I really expected more from you."

"Shut up!" Po shouted, using his one free hand to throw a rather sloppy punch in Rong's direction. The wolf grabbed the panda's shoulder on the rebound and twisted it sharply, causing Po to cry out in pain.

"Face it, Panda. You can't win." He sneered.

As much as he didn't want to admit it, the wolf was absolutely right—he desperately needed backup. Hell, at this point he just needed an escape route. There was no way in hell he was in any condition to fight this guy any longer. Rong Li clearly had the upper hand now.

It was just a matter of how long Po would be able to hold him off before the others arrived to help him.

He took another defensive stance, glaring at the canine. "Oh yeah? Just try me."

With another swift movement of his body, he promptly took a tight grip on Po's now wrenched shoulder. With his other paw he latched onto the panda's arm, forcefully tugging it until a sickening crack filled the air. Po's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets; not only was his shoulder dislocated, but now it was also broken.

The pain was unbearable. His mouth fell agape to scream in pain, but he found himself falling forward instead, landing on his stomach with a heavy thud…unable to say a word. His breath hitched in his chest and he quickly slipped into unconsciousness.

* * *

_Failure. _

Never was a word so punishing to him before. As he clamped his eyes tightly shut, the word seemed to resonate through his ears. How could he have failed so easily, on his _first _mission? He couldn't even hold his own against one other opponent, even _if _this one opponent was a skilled assassin. Shifu had trained him better than this. Maybe he deserved to lose. It was obvious to him now that he was never going to be any help to the Five…

For the first time in his life, he was truly lost.

_Open your eyes, Dragon Warrior._

Po opened his eyes, finding himself face-to-face with Master Oogway. They were somehow standing in the middle of a grassy plain, the bright light of day shining above and a gentle breeze blowing through the coarse fur on his face, carrying to his nose the slightest smell of flowers on the wind.

"It seems you took quite a beating, Master Po." Oogway said, his voice carrying a soft gentle tone that Po remembered.

"Master, I…I failed them. I couldn't even save myself." Po dropped his gaze to the ground, utterly ashamed of himself. He wouldn't meet Oogway's gaze, feeling utterly unworthy of being in his presence.

"I see. So you believe that in your failure to protect yourself, you failed to protect those you care about?"

Po nodded. He looked up when Oogway chuckled, his legendary smile never once faltering from his features, "Young Dragon Warrior, failure is merely falling short of your goal, but that doesn't mean you can never achieve success. One often cannot succeed without failing first. Failure will help you understand what you have done wrong, and in doing so, give you the peace of mind to try harder the next time."

"I…what do you mean, Master?"

"No one is perfect, Master Dragon Warrior. Even I could not claim that title. You must see that failure is the price we pay when we face the unknown. As a warrior, you must find a balance between victory and loss and make them work to your advantage. By making a mistake you can learn from it, and become stronger." Oogway said sagely.

"But Master…how can I…I mean, how can I become stronger alone?" Po asked, desperately searching for an answer.

Oogway sighed softly, "You are never alone. You have friends who can help you, aid you in embarking on the road to self-enlightenment. Those who deeply care about you, and those who love you can show you the light."

"And what if I can't be better?" Po sighed, "If I can't even hold my own, how can I expect to ever be more than what I am now?"

"You will be," Oogway assured him, "There has always been that divine spark in you, your ability to love and understand everyone around you, to see the best in everyday life; that is why you are the Dragon Warrior. You will always have your shortcomings, but don't ever doubt your ability to grow, young one. You still have much to learn." He smiled at the panda, his aged features wrinkling more from his smile, one that Po actually shared with him.

"Thank you Master. But how do I get out of here—"

Everything before him vanished; replaced by complete darkness and the pain he had felt shortly before passing out, although now it was dulled down. He soon realized that he was lying on his back, and tried moving his injured arm. It wouldn't budge. He slowly tore his eyes open, and although he hadn't yet regained full clarity, he immediately recognized Mantis' form in front of him.

"What the hey, still in bed? It's almost noontime, buddy! " The insect laughed, almost falling off the panda's chest when the panda laughed in return. Po's vision cleared just enough that he saw a brown wolf enter the room—thankfully not the likes of Rong Li.

"Hey there big guy," The canine said cheerfully, "I'm Doctor Ling, and you are very _very _lucky to be here right now. Master Mantis did quite a hell of a good job bandaging up those nasty scrapes…and we just took you off the more potent sedatives, so I imagine you might be feeling the slightest twinge of pain, yes?"

"A little bit," Po admitted.

"Good, that's normal. It'll subside as the other medications take effect."

Mantis hopped onto the doctor's shoulder as the wolf scribbled down a quick note on a piece of paper, and made his way for the door. "Your friends are waiting outside. I'll tell them you're awake now." He closed the door behind him, leaving Po in the golden silence of the operating room. He took the opportunity to take in his surroundings. Streaks of warm, golden sunlight poured in from a nearby window, casting a warm glow over a vase full of fresh flowers—pink peonies by the looks of it. He sighed softly. They were Tigress' favorite flowers.

His ears perked in the direction of the door, and allowed himself a small smile as Tigress walked into the room. Not surprisingly, she closed the door behind her, barring the way for the rest of the Five. But he wasn't going to say anything…at least not now, anyway.

"How are you feeling?" She questioned, concern glimmering in her eyes.

"I've…been better. Definitely shouldn't have tried fighting that guy on my own, huh?" Po replied, his voice drained but still carrying that hint of sarcasm.

"No, you shouldn't have." Tigress scolded, but with a relieved smile, "But that's always been your way. A stubborn hardhead, just like Master Shifu. Which reminds me, when we get back, you're doing double time in the training hall for nearly scaring me to death."

Po smiled, chuckling, "I wouldn't expect anything less. Besides, that stubbornness runs in the family."

"Po, I…" she fell silent, unable to think of anything to say.

As far as he knew, the panda expected her to lecture him further, but instead she rushed forward and hugged him, tears streaming down her face. Po closed his eyes and gently rubbed her back with his good arm, holding her as close as he dared. "Tigress, I-I'm so sorry. I was stupid and wasn't thinking…I…I didn't know how tough this guy was."

"Don't you _ever_ scare me like that again," she sobbed, burying her head into the crook of his neck.

"It's alright Tigress, its okay. I'm here." He said softly. She let go of his weak embrace and looked away.

"No, it's not okay." She confessed, tears springing anew. "…I thought I lost you. Promise me, Po. _Promise_ me you'll never do this again."

"I…"

"Promise me…"

He cupped her chin so she was looking directly at him, staring at her intensely in the eyes. Before she could say anything further, Po leaned his head towards her and kissed her soundly in a way he had never done before. With unshed tears rimming her eyelids, she cautiously wrapped an arm around him and kissed him back. When they finally broke the kiss he returned his gaze to hers, rubbing her last tears away with his thumb.

"Tigress, listen to me. I'm not going anywhere without you—ever again."

As he heard the door crack open behind her and saw the Five slowly enter the room, he pulled the feline close to him, uttering the two words she had been waiting to hear, "I promise."

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A/N: These are really starting to become more like one-shots than story shorts, but oh well, they're still quickies to me. I hope you all enjoyed this and please don't forget to leave a comment! Until next time, Cheers :)


	28. Chapter 28

_**Elegant, Graceful, and Clumsy**_

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**Disclaimer: **Kung Fu Panda is © 2008 DreamWorks Animation SKG

A/N: Here it is, the long-awaited request for my 200th reviewer Roldemin. I'm glad you stuck with me with such incredible patience, because honestly, if I were you, I would have tried to find where the author lived, break into his house, and beaten him senseless until he got crackin'! But please, I hope you enjoy my thank-you gift for taking the time to leave your comments; without you (and my other faithful reviewers) I would have no drive to write.

Just another quick note: This is based on Quickie Six, so if you care to, go ahead and read that if you so wish. I plan on re-writing that chapter anyway, just FYI...

So Read, Enjoy, and please leave a comment! Even if it's a couple of words, talk to me! Love on me, hate on me. I wanna hear your feedback!

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**Quickie Twenty-Seven**

_Forget to Remember_

_--_

"Dad, I look stupid in this…"

"Nonsense son, I think you look rather dapper in it."

"_Dad, _come on! This hat is ridiculous!" Po whined, taking the noodle festooned cap off of his head.

Mr. Ping sent his son a soft glare, "Now son, just about everyone in the valley is here. You must look the part of a dashing young noodle-maker if you want to be a successful businessman someday…just like your old man!" He chuckled, dragging the noodle cart behind him. "Besides, Ms. Yun worked hard to weave those yarn balls to look like noodles. So put the hat on, or you'll be on dish duty for a week!"

Po instantly recognized the sternness in the old bird's tone. There was no room for discussion.

The hat was back on his head before Mr. Ping had time to blink once. With his father throwing a few fleeting words to passersby, and Po looking distractedly at his surroundings, it wasn't very long before they were walking under the entrance gate to the Palace arena. Po's eyes almost popped from their sockets when he caught his first glimpse of the elaborate interiors of the huge complex. It was truly a sight to behold. The stands were brightly painted and decorated for the very special event—on this day, one of Master Shifu's students was to attain 'Master' status, in the presence of Master Oogway himself.

Just thinking about seeing the ancient sage tortoise sent chills down the young panda's spine. He'd only heard stories of the great Oogway and his worldly travels, and seen only paintings of paintings of the wise old traveler. Never in a million years did he think he'd see the inventor of Kung-fu in person…even if he would be hundreds of yards away up in the stands. But he was in mild shock when they passed right by the platform that led up to where the villagers were seated.

Instead, they were quickly ushered towards the sidelines, where they were lined up with a myriad of other food vendors from different eateries and culinary establishments from all corners of the Valley of Peace, many of whom Po had never seen before. He sat down with his father along a long stone wall.

"Is there a Mr. Ping here?" A goose called out, holding a piece of parchment in his wings. It looked to be some sort of list.

"That's me." His father replied, "Ah, can you tell me when we will be shown to our seats?"

"All in due time, sir. We will keep the vendors and their carts on the main floor until we can get proper space for you all up in the stands. In the meantime, I need you to fill out this form of agreement in keeping with the policies of Jade Palace affairs…"

The exchange of words between the two birds was lost to the sounds of the surrounding energy that seemed to consume all of Po's attention. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed scores of swine putting large drums at the far edge of the arena. When he turned his head to get a better look, he spotted a rather small man, barking out orders at a nervous palace messenger goose. Something about him seemed so oddly familiar…whether it was his loud, boisterous voice or his giant white ears, Po couldn't quite place his finger on it.

"Po," Mr. Ping said. There was no response.

He gently jarred the panda's shoulder, gazing at him rather curiously, "Po? Po, what are you _doing_?"

"Huh?" he dazedly returned. He blinked and looked at his father, who was sporting a bemused expression at his lax attention span, "Oh, OH! Sorry dad, I guess I…drifted off there for a second, what'd I miss?" Po spied over his father's shoulder; the man he had seen before was nowhere in sight.

"It's nothing, really." The goose chuckled knowingly, "But the last time I saw you staring off into space like that, you ended up tripping down the stairs and into my pot rack. I don't think I'll have to remind you of how much that set me back, my boy!"

He smiled at his father just as the dull roar of the crowd rose to an almost deafening hum in his small but sensitive ears. He glanced skyward towards the Hall of Warriors, and there, for the very first time, he saw Master Oogway descending the steps. He was flanked on both sides by bowing geese. How one man could be so revered by so many; it was truly a sight to behold, Po thought, observing the tortoise's movements…waving and smiling kindly at the crowds. And then, immediately to his right, he was joined by someone—and his heart nearly stopped.

How incredible, and nearly impossible to comprehend at the same time, that _she_ would be walking beside the Great Master himself. He rubbed his eyes in a futile attempt to make sure what he was seeing was really there, as if his eyes were playing some kind of cruel joke on him. He blinked once. Twice, then clamped his eyes tightly shut.

But, when he opened his eyes for the third time, she was still there…just as striking as she was the first time they met.

"_Er…hello? Is there anyone here?" _

Her voice…he had never forgotten. So unique and unlike anything he'd ever heard before.

"_Yeah, over here miss, is there something I can help you—uh, with…" _ When his eyes met hers; they were so innocent, yet so full of expression. Her irises painted a distinct fiery red-orange, set against a pool of golden yellow. Never had he seen eyes like hers.

"…_uh, hrmm…w-what I mean i-is, is that…um…" _

She smiled and giggled at him, _"Is something wrong?"_

Her smile, priceless. And her laughter; it was like music. Okay, maybe he was getting a little ahead of himself. He certainly didn't have those kinds of images in his head when they met. After all, he was only seven years old at the time. But time had a strange way of changing one's perception.

He had time to grow, to mature…and apparently, so did she. She wasn't the small, anxious tiger cub he remembered her being. She had grown into such a beautiful young woman. Still snappy and attentive, but gods, she was gorgeous. He violently shook his head when his imagination started to run away from him.

_Gods Panda, focus! Focus! _It wasn't like he couldn't help himself, not completely, anyway. It was just his age. That _had _to be it.

Of course, eight long years without seeing her probably had something to do with it. He was so caught up in his thoughts that he almost didn't hear the suggestive comments his father was making beside him. Small tidbits of his father's incessant rambling like "…what an attractive young woman…" and "…you should find yourself a girl like her…" actually got through to him, but for the most part, he was intently focused on her.

She quickly took the last few steps with Oogway down to the dais perched above the arena floor, where she joined with four others—Master Shifu's other students, by the looks of it—and looked over the crowd expectantly. Po waved up at her, hoping by some slim chance that she'd notice him…but she didn't even look his way.

"Citizens of the Valley of Peace," By Master Oogway's first words, the crowd's roar dulled to nothing more than a gentle murmur. Po was amazed at how quickly his soft voice could quell such a large group of people. "I feel great honor to stand before you all today, to bestow no little designation upon a very talented student of kung fu…she possesses such immense talent, something which I have not seen in a great, many years." As he rested his hand on her shoulder, her head bowed low in reverence. He leaned his head forward and whispered inaudibly into her ear; Po could only have imagined what he must have said to her, but when she turned around and he spotted that radiant smile plastered on her face…

Oogway stepped back, and proclaimed, "Behold my friends, one youth, who has accomplished so much in her eleven years, done what many only can only dream of for the entirety of their lives. She has transformed herself into a beacon of hope in a world of darkness, and is as loyal to her art as the Sun is to bringing light to the Earth…Congratulations, Master Tigress."

There was no measurement of time small enough to describe how quickly the audience tore into massive applause after those two words passed through the sage turtle's lips. The uproar of the people was only upstaged by the peal of fireworks erupting into the clear, early evening sky.

Mr. Ping nudged his son's shoulder, "Quite masterful words, eh? But I'd place a wager that your old grandfather could out-orate that Master Oogway any day of the week, if you ask me!"

"Yeah…" Po said, his eyes still stuck on the newly-christened Master.

She looked so happy, so…perfect. Then her eyes panned down, and for just a moment, their eyes connected. His stomach started to churn, and he was pretty sure that his heart had leapt into his throat. Mustering up the most courage he could, he sent her a shy wave, hoping that by some grace of the gods above, she'd return it.

But all she did was stare blankly at him, her gaze passing right through him, as if he wasn't there at all.

He knew she was looking at him. He _knew _it. Then suddenly, just as quickly as they locked gazes, the tiger turned her head away, accepting words of congratulations from her fellow students. He watched her from the arena floor, heartbroken, as she walked away from the stage and disappeared into the throngs of people crowding the platform.

She had forgotten him; utterly and completely forgotten…disregarded that he even existed.

"Son, come now," Mr. Ping gently coaxed, "We have noodles to serve…"

His ears flattened against his head and complied, turning away from the platform and walking slowly behind the old goose, not even bothering to wipe the tears out of his drenched eyes.

* * *

Po awoke with a start, jolting upright and sucking down a breath of fresh air. For a moment, he didn't even know where he was, half-expecting to awake in his old bedroom down in the Valley. But he didn't. He clutched a paw to his chest; his heart was racing at a million miles an hour.

He was so haunted by what he had seen that he didn't even notice Tigress suddenly sit up in their bed, staring at him in alarm, "Po? PO! What is it? What's wrong?"

His eyes darted over to her face, the bright red and yellow hues of her eyes glowing through the dim nighttime air.

As much as he needed her near him, it hurt to look at her now. Even though that day had passed by well over ten years ago, for some reason, his mind had ripped it back to the surface. How could she have done that to him? How could she toss their friendship aside like that, like it was a worthless trinket? He glanced at her through the corner of his eye, breathing so harshly as if he'd just run a marathon.

"Nothing," he gasped, his heart was still hammering in his chest, "It—it's nothing. I just…had a really bad dream. Nothing else. I'm sorry for waking you."

As much as he hoped she'd believe him, Tigress wasn't buying it. The way he was looking at her, wholly terrified, she instinctively knew that he was hiding something from her. "Po, its okay, you're okay…" she soothed, wrapping her arms around him. "You can tell me anything, you know that."

He broke down in a sob, running his hands down his face in a futile attempt to recollect his composure. She just hugged him tighter, staying silent for as long as he needed to speak whatever was on his mind. What he did finally say shocked her: "Have you ever dreamed that someone you really cared about, someone you loved, completely forgot about you?"

In all honesty, he had expected her to quickly wave it off and say, _'Nope, can't say that I have,' _but instead he heard her sigh softly, slowly turning her head away from him and towards the door.

"Yes, but it wasn't a dream," she admitted, "I know it sounds pathetic, because we had only met once, a long time ago…but before you, he was the sweetest and most gentle-hearted person I had ever met. I was only seven at the time, but, he made me feel," she paused, searching for the right words, "He made me feel _special_. We never saw each other after that. And I guess it was for the better, since I was just getting serious about my training, not to mention Master had given me a stern lecture when he found out I was with a guy."

Po smiled at that last snide remark, protectively wrapping an arm around her and gently kissing her forehead. Even if she didn't have the slightest idea of who it was, at least he had the peace of mind knowing that she had fond memories of their encounter. For a time, they sat up together, not speaking, not moving, as if they already knew what the other was going to say.

But Po soon felt the heaviness of his eyelids and slid them closed, resting his head atop hers. "Do you still think about him?" He whispered.

She yawned and gently nuzzled him, "…Oh, sometimes, when he's not around."

_Wait, wait…what?_

By the time he opened his eyes and looked down at her, she was already fast asleep, snoring softly into the fur on his neck. He prudently kept his mouth shut and decided to interrogate her tomorrow; chances were, if she hadn't forgotten the first time, she wouldn't this time, either. Again he shut his eyes, images of his childhood friend flashing through his mind…

He would fall sound asleep soon after—resting soundly, but not to dream.


	29. Chapter 29

**_Elegant, Graceful, and Clumsy_**

**_

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_**

**Disclaimer: **Kung Fu Panda is © 2008 DreamWorks Animation SKG

A/N: For the first time in a while, I really don't have much to say about this one. I think that the title speaks literally for itself. Eh, whatevers. Hope you guys enjoy, and don't forget to leave a comment!

* * *

**Quickie Twenty-Eight**

_Obedience_

_--_

"You're injured." Po said matter of factly, leaning against her doorframe.

"I'm fine, honestly." Tigress brushed him off, trying not to wince as she fell back onto her bed.

Po grunted quietly; she told him it was going to be nothing more than a "diplomatic trip to the capitol. No more, no less." Those were her words…and yet here she was, not two weeks later, beaten to a pulp. And why? It could have been her fiery temper, stubborn attitude, an in-your-face mentality—well, suffice it to say there was a list of grievances mounting against her.

While it wasn't outside his personality to scold her, the panda decided to speak prudently for her benefit.

"Mantis didn't seem to think so."

Begrudgingly, the tiger lifted herself up to face him, "Mantis seems to think a lot of things. Besides, this isn't the first time I was forced into a brawl. I've taken beatings much worse than this, trust me."

Po's eyebrows raised noticeably, his facial expression holding a mixture of confusion and worry. He had come to accept a great deal of Tigress' little…bugaboos…throughout their relationship, but it was still beyond him why she always _insisted _on getting herself into physical confrontations. It needed to stop.

He sat down next to her, and she looked away from him, not wanting to meet his incriminating gaze.

"C'mon honey, look at me." He gently coaxed. When she didn't respond, he spoke more sternly, "_Tigress_…"

"No. I don't want to talk about it."

Her entire body tensed when the sudden feeling of Po's hands fell on her shoulders, his fingers digging into the striped fur in such a way that she couldn't help but dip forward. Her arms slid off the edge of the bed, until her clawed fingertips just barely came into contact with the floor.

"Po," she breathed, "I'm f- fi- fine…" She stuttered when Po pushed against a particularly tender spot; her head fell back against his shoulder, and a warm flush gradually overtook her entire body.

"I know." He said calmly, his breath floating quietly over the back of the feline's ear. "Just tell me where it hurts, okay?"

She shivered at his touch, sensing his hands slipping under the constricting fabric of her vest, pulling and kneading at the abused muscles in her upper back. "Mmhmm…oh—_alright_…just, stay there—yes, _right there._"

As he continued to work her sore shoulders, her eyes slid closed; it was like heaven on earth—he was _far _too good with this. Just as the tiger began to drift off, she felt Po's hot breath against her ear once again.

"How's that feel?"

"Ngh, it's all so—_ah_—so _g-good_…" she purred.

Her head tilted to the side when he got to work on her neck, his fingers dancing with the orange striped fur, swirling and pushing into the strained muscles. He silently appreciated the vibrations coursing through his hands, all of them sensations emanating from the growing intensity of her purrs. Po was perfectly content with keeping this up, but then again, he had a job to finish...didn't he?

He pressed a gentle kiss to her collarbone, and the tiger's eyes shot right open, shuddering slightly as his lips came into contact with her skin.

Tigress couldn't help it and swung her head around in one fluid movement, looking at the panda with an expression somewhere in-between senseless confusion and excitement, but it was shortly lived as the pain in her back laced its way up her spine from the move she made.

"_Gods_!" She gasped, contorting her face in a grimace. Alright, maybe she had overly-exaggerated the whole 'fine' thing. Damn him. Damn him for being right.

"This would be much easier if we got rid of this pesky vest then, hmm?" Po whispered.

"W-whatever you want, just, _p-please_ don't stop…"

He chuckled and took the hem of her vest in his grasp, pulling it up and detangling the bothersome fabric from her body. Tigress went wordlessly as Po's hands, ever gentle but firm, ushered her down to lie on her stomach. It wasn't until she felt his weight settle above her, and his warm breath on the nape of her neck, that her mind finally caught up with the rest of her body.

"Po?" She whimpered, shocked by how hushed and weak her voice sounded.

"Tigress." Was his reply. His voice was calmer and more alluring than she had ever heard it. That one word was followed by the return of his hands to her body, working all of the tension and resistance away with each stroke of his fingers against her skin. She moaned as his lips pressed against her neck, his tongue gently smoothing out the fur that was now standing on end.

"Now listen to me," he gently nipped her ear, "I don't need you getting hurt on me, okay?"

"Mm…oh, _o_—_kay_," she sighed deeply.

A smirk pulled at the corners of Po's mouth, "Awesome…now, just relax." As his mouth dipped below her ear, trailing kisses across the back of her neck, Tigress found that she was powerless; powerless to do anything but obey.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading, and to answer those who have sent me messages about the continuation of 'Black Or White', I say: Yes Indeedy! Expect an update soon.

Cheers :)


	30. Chapter 30

_**Elegant, Graceful, and Clumsy**_

_**

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**_**Disclaimer: **Kung Fu Panda is © 2008 DreamWorks Animation SKG

Hello world, and what a while it has been! I'm so sorry that there haven't been any updates as of late, but with my computer breaking, my college (and life in general) have been keeping me very busy lately. Nevertheless, I jumped at the first opportunity I had to update at least one of my stories, so thanks to you guys for being so patient with me…

Oh, and just a quick heads up – I will be consolidating some of the chapters in this series, so if you happen to see fewer chapters, that's the reason why. The content _**will not**_ be disappearing, but to the quickies that are longer than one chapter, they'll all be packed together into one tidy package.

If that causes any problems with submitting reviews, then please feel free to drop one _**anonymously**_. Thanks a ton and happy reading!

* * *

**Quickie Twenty-Nine**

_Autumn Evening_

--

She supposed it was like any other typical autumn evening on the mountainside, when the migrating birds bound for warmer weather on the horizon – a mosaic of warm colors beaming through the leaves of the trees. The air was crisp, and the slightest hint of smoke from distant wildfires danced on the wind.

With the warm fire in front of her, the crackling sounds a tune to brittle bones, she pulled her knees up against her chest and rested her elbows on them, her hands clasped between her legs, Tigress sighed and snapped her eyes shut, letting the searing heat of the roaring flames toast her cold and aching toes.

The faint whisper of shouts and snarls had ceased moments before; it was a telling sign that she would have company very soon. Training was through for the day, that much she was certain of…

Footsteps crunching through dry leaves, and the smell of hot tea and dampened earth. Of course, it was a newfound tradition…bonfire night under the Sacred Peach Tree, after a particularly harsh week of training. Her ears twitched; heavy footsteps on the stone stairs behind her.

No, she definitely wasn't alone anymore.

And cruel surrender to peace and tranquility came swiftly as the weight of four tiny paws jumped into her lap, followed seconds after by a pair of warm, supple lips pressing against her cheek, whispering, "Beat us to the tree again, huh?"

The feline smiled and opened her eyes, meeting his warm gaze, "You know me so well."

Her eyes fell to the cub in her lap, snuggling and burrowing closer against her cloak.

The sun continued its retreat against the mountaintops, yet somehow, the small plateau continued to shine brightly against the surrounding darkness…a number of twinkling lights outlined the village far below.

She felt him come up alongside her, morphing his body to the contour of hers. His arm draped around her waist, and she found hers doing the very same. The feline mused over this day – and the many others behind it – what had happened, what was now, and what was to come.

All on one autumn evening.


	31. Chapter 31

_**Elegant, Graceful, and Clumsy**_

_**

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**_**Disclaimer: **Kung Fu Panda is © 2008 DreamWorks Animation SKG

Oh. My. Swizzle Sticks. Kippis has done it again! Two updates in less than a week! Of course I apologize for the hiatus (as I have already explained the absence of updates in my other recently updated story _The Thriller_ (_shameless plug_)) but I have a short, sweet update for you all to enjoy! For the sake of keeping within the 'drabble' storyframe, this chapter is gonna be a short one.

Read, Review, and hope you all Enjoy!

* * *

**Quickie Thirty**

_Idiot_

--

"Tigress, I got you something…" Po smiled cheekily.

She glared at him. "I don't want it."

"It's cheap, I promise."

He offered her a hopeful smile – she didn't want any part of this, but the temptation was more than the feline could bear. "Alright, _fine_, let me see it." She tore the small box from his paw, opened it, and gasped.

It was a ring. A gold ring. An engagement ring. Oh, gods.

"Cheap? You call _THIS _cheap!?" She yelled; Po laughed and took her hands.

"Will you marry me?"

"…I…I don't know, I – No, no, I mean…I really don't think—" Her eyes began to well up with tears.

"It's okay, Tigress, you're okay," He wrapped his arms around her. "We don't have to get married tomorrow. It can wait."

"You idiot…_yes_. Yes, I will." She sniffed.

And then her fist collided with his face.

As the female tiger walked off, slipping the ring onto her finger, one of Po's youngest students walked up to him. She shook her head slowly and handed him a cold washcloth. "I told you so."

The remainder of his beginners' kung fu class all nodded in agreement. He sighed – if she thought he was an idiot, so be it.


	32. Chapter 32

_**Elegant, Graceful, and Clumsy**_

_**

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**_**Disclaimer: **Kung Fu Panda is © 2008 DreamWorks Animation SKG

A/N: Because I haven't updated this story in such a long time (long time = since February), I decided to update it with something a little bit different - a sneak peak of the next chapter of Thriller, which I intend on updating on June 25 to mark one year since Michael Jackson passed away. Thanks for reading and if you have a spare second, leave a comment!

* * *

**Quickie Thirty-One**

_Chance_

_...  
_

What the hell just happened? What on Earth was he thinking? How could he just leave her _alone_, in her hotel room when she had tried to tell him – _something _– something important? Tigress had never looked so soft and vulnerable before tonight, curled up on that wonderfully large bed, one that looked so soft and inviting…

Gods, he didn't need this right now. What he needed to do was think. Think about what she tried to give him just a few moments ago. It wasn't that he didn't want this – he wanted this desperately. Every thought in his head screamed at him to turn on his heel and run back up those stairs, but he just couldn't bring himself to do that. It felt strange, rushed, not at all what he wanted. If he caved, if he went back…everything they'd been through before this, and everything they worked for, would be for nothing.

It would have all worked up to dinner and a night of passion in an expensive room in the middle of Cháng'ān. No distractions. No boundaries – no Shifu, no Dad, no Furious Five, no kung fu and no dangerous villains or evil armies to speak of; just the two of them, and no one else.

_Dear gods…that's exactly what I always wanted it to be…_

He turned his head and looked toward the well-lit inn as he strode quickly away from it. Would it be such a bad thing to turn around, walk back up to that room, open up the door and say, "_About all that stuff I said before? Just forget about it, I've changed my mind. Let's get to it_." No, that wasn't him at all – who was he kidding? He knew what the problem was. It wasn't that this was going too quickly, and that he hadn't had enough time to think this through. Po knew exactly what he wanted. The problem was that it was finally here.

The dream, _his dream_, was finally becoming a reality. He'd always been a firm believer in dreams…and honestly, everyone needed dreams to lean on once in a while. He always had his. And his dream, however unlikely, was to be with her. To love her and for her to love him back. That in itself was everything he'd ever wanted. Nothing else.

And now, after years of dreaming about it, it presented itself in flesh and blood. The chance to be with her was his for the taking.

So why, then, was he running away from his dream like a scared little kid?

Tigress would more than live up to the expectations he'd built up in his mind of her, that he knew. That didn't bother him in the least.

He was afraid. Afraid that _he _wouldn't be able to live up to her expectations; utterly terrified of the reality of a real relationship with her and taking it for granted, and more importantly, taking _her _for granted. And he was also terrified that he would ultimately let her down.

His fear wasn't rational – she wanted him, and she loved him (at least he was pretty sure she did…why else would she follow him here?). These were two facts that would never cease to amaze him, yet he recognized them both as being real and true. She was prepared to do anything, offer herself to him, everything she had, as she's offered herself to no one else.

He wanted to read those letters, and she was willing to give him that too. The past four months they had been apart, he would finally know what she was feeling, what she had been going through. But he was deathly afraid to learn the truth – the '_what if's'_ and the '_if only's'_ would probably tear him apart.

Even worse still, he would be able to identify the inner motivations behind her act back at the hotel. Maybe she didn't want him at all – maybe, to save him the grief of finding out on his own, she came to Cháng'ān just to tell him that she wanted to move on with her life, and that everything she did, everything he had done, was a horrible mistake. He could find out that he was nothing more than a stepping stone for her denial.

Or, perhaps worst of all, Po would find out that Tigress honestly, genuinely, and eternally loved him.

At least in his dreams he was always able to distance himself, because before it happened, before he became the Dragon Warrior, she didn't know who he was…she was inaccessible. An unattainable dream; but this girl, this woman, was reaching out to him, asking him to accept her for who she was, and he wasn't entirely sure that he would have the strength to do that.

The panda had been wandering around for what felt like eternity when he finally found himself outside the walls of the Imperial Palace. The complex was, of course, sealed up tighter than a drum. Two guards would rotate around the southern gates every half hour; perhaps if he were lucky they would find him there and let him back in. The Emperor was probably already fast asleep. How would he be able to explain the guards finding Master Po hunched over, leaning against the Palace walls like some kind of drunkard, wandering hopelessly around the dark, dangerous streets all by himself?

Destitute, tired and angry, Po plopped down under an oak tree and propped himself up against it. "What the hell is wrong with me? Why can't I just accept what I have and be happy?" He asked himself.

"You could be happy," the answer came on the wind. "Maybe you just don't know it yet."

Now he was hearing her voice in his head – how pathetically lovelorn was he, anyway? He clenched his eyes tightly shut. "Tigress, why can't I escape you? Why do you follow me everywhere I go?"

It was quiet for a moment, but then, she answered him, "Would you like me to leave?"

_What the hell—? _He opened his eyes…and there she was, standing about fifty yards away.

Po quickly stood up. "No…please stay."

She nodded and hesitantly took a few steps forward. "I knew you'd come here."

"I did wander around for a while, though."

She smiled slightly. "Po, you barely wander anywhere at night but to the kitchen – let alone out here in the dark." He held her gaze, and then her smile faded as she turned serious. "Why did you leave?"

"I was overwhelmed, Tigress, you can't go and blame me for that."

"No," she said resolutely. "You're not allowed to be overwhelmed. I came here looking for you, not the other way around."

She walked even closer to him, covering more than half the distance that separated them.

"And that's supposed to make me feel better?" He accused. "I _always _run away from my problems, Tigress…I'm the whiny little coward who's scared of his own shadow. Maybe coming here was a bold move, but people can be brave and scared at the same time, you know."

Tigress looked at him. "Are you scared of me?" she asked.

He nodded.

"I don't understand…why?"

"Because you've caused me more pain than anyone else in my life, more than my dad, more than Shifu…I don't think I can take another rejection."

"You don't have to be afraid of me, Po, I'm not a monster."

He sighed, and took a timid step towards her. "All this time you've seemed so confident and secure about what you wanted."

Her bottom lip began to quiver. "But I'm not."

They took a few more steps across the abyss, until they were only standing a few feet apart.

"I'm scared of what you tried to give me tonight."

"What did I give you?"

"Everything, Tigress. And that scares me."

"Po, if you don't take some chances in your life –"

"I've already taken my fair share of chances with you," he gazed at her intently. "Now I think it's time that you took a chance."


	33. Chapter 33

_**Elegant, Graceful, and Clumsy**_

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**Disclaimer: **Kung Fu Panda is © DreamWorks Animation SKG

This is a request for a reader that goes by _**VulpineSnow**_**.** Sorry it took so long, but Real Life™ can be a complete, well, you know.

This is yet another continuation of Chapter 6, _Forgotten Childhood Memories_, and thus goes along with Chapter 28's theme. However, it takes place in an AU to where Tigress knows exactly who Po is the moment of his arrival during the ceremony to present the chosen Dragon Warrior. The following takes place during the film.

* * *

_**Quickie 32**_

_Doubts_

_...  
_

_You don't belong at the Jade Palace. _

_You are a disgrace to kung fu, and if you have any respect for who we are, and what we do, you will be gone by morning._

"Maybe I should just quit and go back to making noodles…"

The panda sighed dejectedly, and sat down rather gruffly with his back turned toward the old tortoise standing behind him. He didn't catch Master Oogway's slight nod of understanding, but he assuredly continued to sense his presence. Apparently this old Master saw more in him than he was able to see for his own sake. But how could he change the minds of the others? The Furious Five _and _Master Shifu saw nothing to convince them that he was capable of fulfilling the prophecy of the Dragon Warrior.

_He _couldn't see himself fulfilling the prophesy of the Dragon Warrior.

So how could Master Oogway possibly see that potential when no one else could?

The tortoise was silent for a long moment, and said nothing to agree nor disagree with him. He rather chose to speak in a parable. "Quit, don't quit. Noodles, don't noodles - you are too concerned with what was, and, what will be." He said sagely. "There is a saying. Yesterday, is history. Tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present." His staff struck the tree, and a peach fell into the panda's open paw. Oogway left him to his thoughts then…to stay or leave if he chose to. Po sat still under the peach tree for what seemed like a while until his ears twitched to the sound of grass moving behind him. At first he thought it was the wind, but when he turned around to investigate, he met the fiery red gaze of Master Tigress.

To his credit, he didn't jump at the sight of her sneaking up on him.

The feline eyed him critically from where she stood, clearly not pleased to see that he had not yet left the Jade Palace.

But what astonished her was the fact that he didn't seem at all surprised to see that she followed him there. And she was even more surprised, and slightly angered by, how he decided to greet her.

"Don't you think you've humiliated me enough today?" He said, looking back out at the mountains.

She crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at him. "I don't think that is how you should greet a Master, Panda…"

"Oh, you mean like how you called me a _disgrace_?" He replied angrily. "If you're here to insult me again, I don't wanna hear it."

Tigress growled. "You are a disgrace as far as I'm concerned…"

"Look, I didn't even want this stupid title." He said sullenly, standing up. "But I'm not going to give up just because you don't believe I can do it."

"Prove it to me otherwise," she responded nonchalantly. "As far as I've been able to tell, you are a nobody. You don't have anywhere near our experience, nor do you have the slightest idea what you are doing in practicing any real kung fu."

"You're right, I _am _a nobody." He took her hand, and she was about to pull away and pummel him…

…However, before she got a chance to he pulled something from his pocket and placed it gently into her palm.

"All of these years, I never forgot about you, Tigress," he said sadly, turning around without seeing her reaction to the item now in her possession. "But I guess you've already forgotten about me. I'm sorry if everything didn't turn out the way you'd planned it."

Her eyes panned down to the item in her hand; it was a small tiger doll, its orange striped velvety soft 'fur' faded and dulled with age…and when the realization of what this tiny little toy meant to her finally surfaced, her heart seemed to skip a beat. Memories of that particular Dragon Boat festival from almost fifteen years prior came flooding back into her mind.

_"Thanks for winning me this plushy, Po, I love it…"_

_"Eh, it was nothing, really,"_

_"I'm serious. I really appreciate this."_

She remembered dropping it when Shifu took her away, and never being able to find it when she returned to the village to try and recover it. Master Shifu had increased her training regimen as punishment for her insubordination, and never allowed her to leave the Palace unless he accompanied her, or, when she came of age, to leave with her comrades on missions.

Tigress had never seen Po after that day. And now, here he was, fifteen years later; her first real friend was standing right in front of her. And yet, it was only through this small insignificant toy that she was able to come to that realization at all.

"Panda," The feline said hesitantly. "Wait a minute…"

He ignored her plea, and continued on down the steps. "Goodnight, Master Tigress."

She watched him as his head gradually vanished under the tall grass, to where he was going, she wasn't exactly sure. She held some vain hope that he'd still be here in the morning.

"Po…" She whispered almost sorrowfully, regretfully…_almost_.

Looking down at the tiny velveteen doll in her paw, she sighed raggedly, and quickly disappeared into the shadows.

* * *

**_Edit: _**I hadn't realized that today was the two year anniversary since I first published this story. So a Happy 2nd Birthday to _Elegant, Graceful and Clumsy! _*throws confetti*


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